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EVE'S    RANSOM 


A  NO^EL 


BY 

GEORGE  HISSING 

AUTHOR  OF   DENZIL   QUARRIER,    THE   ODD   WOMEN, 
m   THS   YCAR   OF  ^BILEE,   ETC. 


NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

D.  APPLETON  &  CO. 

1912 


n 


COPTRIGHT,    189s, 

By  D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY. 


Printed  In  the  United  States  of  Aaierii 


EVE'S  RANSOM. 


CHAPTER  I. 


ON  the  station  platform  at  Dudley  Port, 
in  the  dusk  of  a  February  afternoon, 
half-a-dozen  people  waited  for  the  train 
to  Birmingham.  A  south-west  wind  had 
loaded  the  air  with  moisture,  which  dripped  at 
moments,  thinly  and  sluggishly,  from  a  feature- 
less sky.  The  lamps,  just  lighted,  cast  upon 
wet  wood  and  metal  a  pale  yellow  shimmer ; 
voices  sounded  with  peculiar  clearness  ;  so  did 
the  rumble  of  a  porter's  barrow  laden  with  lug- 
gage. From  a  foundry  hard  by  came  the 
muffled,  rhythmic  thunder  of  mighty  blows ; 
this  and  the  long  note  of    an  engine-whistle 


a  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

wailing  far  off  seemed  to  intensify  the  stillness 
of  the  air  as  gloomy  day  passed  into  gloomier 
night. 

In  clear  daylight  the  high,  uncovered  plat- 
form would  have  offered  an  outlook  over  the 
surrounding  country,  but  at  this  hour  no  hori- 
zon was  discernible.  Buildings  near  at  hand, 
rude  masses  of  grimy  brick,  stood  out  against 
a  grey  confused  background  ;  among  them  rose 
a  turret  which  vomited  crimson  flame.  This 
fierce,  infernal  glare  seemed  to  lack  the  irradi- 
ating quality  of  earthly  fires  ;  with  hard,  though 
fluctuating  outline,  it  leapt  towards  the  kindred 
night,  and  diffused  a  blotchy  darkness.  In  the 
opposite  direction,  over  towards  Dudley  Town, 
appeared  spots  of  lurid  glow.  But  on  the 
scarred  and  barren  plain  which  extends  to  Bir- 
mingham there  had  settled  so  thick  an  obscur- 
ity, vapours  from  above  blending  with  earthly 
reek,  that  all  the  beacons  of  .fiery  toil  were 
wrapped  and  hidden. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  ■  3 

Of  the  waiting  travellers,  two  kept  apart 
from  the  rest,  pacing  this  way  and  that,  but 
independently  of  each  other.  They  were  men 
of  dissimilar  appearance  ;  the  one  comfortably 
and  expensively  dressed,  his  age  about  fifty, 
his  visage  bearing  the  stamp  of  commerce  ;  the 
other,  younger  by  more  than  twenty  years, 
habited  in  a  way  which  made  it  difficult  to  as- 
certain his  social  standing,  and  looking  about 
him  with  eyes  suggestive  of  anything  but 
prudence  or  content.  Now  and  then  they  ex- 
changed a  glance :  he  of  the  high  hat  and 
caped  ulster  betrayed  an  interest  in  the  younger 
man,  who,  in  his  turn,  took  occasion  to  observe 
the  other  from  a  distance,  with  show  of  dubious 
recognition. 

The  trill  of  an  electric  signal,  followed  by  a 
clanging  bell,  brought  them  both  to  a  pause, 
and  they  stood  only  two  or  three  yards  apart. 
Presently  a  light  flashed  through  the  thicken- 
ing dusk ;  there  was  roaring,  grinding,  creak- 


4  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

ing  and  a  final  yell  of  brake-tortured  wheels. 
Making  at  once  for  the  nearest  third-class 
carriage,  the  man  in  the  seedy  overcoat  sprang 
to  a  place,  and  threw  himself  carelessly  back ; 
a  moment,  and  he  was  followed  by  the  second 
passenger,  who  seated  himself  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  compartment.  Once  more  they 
looked  at  each  other,  but  without  change  of 
countenance. 

Tickets  were  collected,  for  there  would  be 
no  stoppage  before  Birmingham  :  then  the  door 
slammed,  and  the  two  men  were  alone  to- 
gether. 

Two  or  three  minutes  after  the  train  had 
started,  the  elder  man  leaned  forward,  moved 
slightly,  and  spoke. 

"  Excuse  me,  I  think  your  name  must  be 
Hilliard." 

"  What  then  ?  "  was  the  brusque  reply. 

"You  don't  remember  me?" 

**  Scoundrels  are  common  enough,"  returned 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  5 

the  Other,  crossing  his  legs,  "  but  I  remember 
you  for  all  that." 

The  insult  was  thrown  out  with  a  peculiarly 
reckless  air ;  it  astounded  the  hearer,  who  sat 
for  an  instant  with  staring  eyes  and  lips  apart ; 
then  the  blood  rushed  to  his  cheeks. 

"  If  I  hadn't  just  about  twice  your  muscle, 
my  lad,"  he  answered  angrily,  "  I  'd  make  you 
repent  that,  and  be  more  careful  with  your 
tongue  in  future.  Now,  mind  what  you  say ! 
We  've  a  quiet  quarter  of  an  hour  before  us, 
and  I  might  alter  my  mind." 

The  young  man  laughed  contemptuously. 
He  was  tall,  but  slightly  built,  and  had  deli- 
cate hands. 

"  So  you  've  turned  out  a  blackguard,  have 
you  ?  "  pursued  his  companion,  whose  name 
was  Dengate.  "  I  heard  something  about  that." 

"  From  whom?" 

"  You  drink,  I  am  told.  I  suppose  that 's 
your  condition  now." 


6'  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Well,  no  ;  not  just  now,"  answered  Hilliard. 
He  spoke  the  language  of  an  educated  man, 
but  with  a  trace  of  the  Midland  accent.  Den- 
gate's  speech  had  less  refinement. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  your  insulting  talk, 
then  ?     I  spoke  to  you  civilly." 

"  And  I  answered  as  I  thought  fit." 

The  respectable  citizen  sat  with  his  hands 
on  his  knees,  and  scrutinised  the  other's  sallow 
features. 

"You  've  been  drinking,  I  can  see.  I  had 
something  to  say  to  you,  but  I  'd  better  leave 
it  for  another  time." 

Hilliard  flashed  a  look  of  scorn,  and  said 
sternly — 

"  I  am  as  sober  as  you  are." 

"Then  just  give  me  civil  answers  to  civil 
questions." 

"  Questions  ?  What  right  have  you  to  ques- 
tion me  ?  " 

"  It  *s  for  your  own  advantage.  You  called 
me  scoundrel.    What  did  you  mean  by  that  ?  " 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  7 

"  That  *s  the  name  I  give  to  fellows  who  go 
bankrupt  to  get  rid  of  their  debts." 

"  Is  it ! "  said  Dengate,  with  a  superior 
smile.  "  That  only  shows  how  little  you  know 
of  the  world,  my  lad.  You  got  it  from  your 
father,  I  daresay  ;  he  had  a  rough  way  of  talk- 
ing." 

"  A  disagreeable  habit  of  telling  the  truth." 

"  I  know  all  about  it.  Your  father  was  n't 
a  man  of  business,  and  could  n't  see  things 
from  a  business  point  of  view.  Now,  what  I 
just  want  to  say  to  you  is  this  :  there  's  all  the 
difference  in  the  world  between  commercial 
failure  and  rascality.  If  you  go  down  to  Liv- 
erpool, and  ask  men  of  credit  for  their  opinion 
about  Chirles  Edward  Dengate,  you  '11  have  a 
lesson  that  would  profit  you.  I  can  see  you  're 
one  of  the  young  chaps  who  think  a  precious 
deal  of  themselves  ;  I  'm  often  coming-across 
them  nowadays,  and  I  generally  give  them  a 
piece  of  my  mind." 

Hilliard  smiled. 


8  EVE'S  HANSOM. 

"If  you  gave  them  the  whole,  it  would  be 
no  great  generosity." 

"  Eh  ?  Yes,  I  see  you  've  had  a  glass  or 
two,  and  it  makes  you  witty.  But  wait  a  bit. 
I  was  devilish  near  thrashing  you  a  few  min- 
utes ago  ;  but  I  sha'n't  do  it,  say  what  you 
like.     I  don't  like  vulgar  rows." 

"  No  more  do  I,"  remarked  Milliard  ;  "  and 
I  have  n't  fought  since  I  was  a  boy.  But  for 
your  own  satisfaction,  I  can  tell  you  it  's  a 
wise  resolve  not  to  interfere  with  me.  The 
temptation  to  rid  the  world  of  one  such  man 
as  you  might  prove  too  strong." 

There  was  a  force  of  meaning  in  these 
words,  quietly  as  they  were  uttered,  which 
impressed  the  listener. 

**  You  '11  come  to  a  bad  end,  my  lad." 

"  Hardly.  It's  unlikely  that  I  shall  ever  be 
rich." 

"  Oh !  you  're  one  of  that  sort,  are  you  ? 
I  Ve  come  across  Socialistic  fellows.     But  look 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  9 

here.  I  'm  talking  civilly,  and  I  say  again  it 's 
for  your  advantage.  I  had  a  respect  for  your 
father,  and  I  liked  your  brother — I  'm  sorry  to 
hear  he's  dead." 

"  Please  keep  your  sorrow  to  yourself." 

"  All  right,  all  right !  I  understand  you  're  a 
draughtsman  at  Kenn  and  Bodditch's  ?  " 

"  I  daresay  you  are  capable  of  understand- 
ing that." 

Hilliard  planted  his  elbow  in  the  window  of 
the  carriage  and  propped  his  cheek  on  his 
hand. 

"Yes  ;  and  a  few  other  things,"  rejoined  the 
well-dressed  man.  "  How  to  make  money, 
for  instance.— Well,  haven't  you  any  insult 
ready?" 

The  other  looked  out  at  a  row  of  flaring 
chimneys,  which  the  train  was  rushing  past : 
he  kept  silence. 

"  Go  down  to  Liverpool,"  pursued  Den- 
gate,  "  and  make  inquiries  about  me.     You  '11 


lo  EVE'S  HANSOM. 

find  I  have  as  good  a  reputation  as  any  man 
living." 

He  laboured  this  point.  It  was  evident  that 
he  seriously  desired  to  establish  his  probity 
and  importance  in  the  young  man's  eyes.  Nor 
did  anything  in  his  look  or  speech  conflict  with 
such  claims.  He  had  hard,  but  not  disagree- 
able features,  and  gave  proof  of  an  easy  tem- 
per. 

"  Paying  one's  debts,"  said  Hilliard,  "  is  fatal 
to  reputation." 

"  You  use  words  you  don't  understand. 
There 's  no  such  thing  as  a  debt,  except  what 's 
recognised  by  the  laws." 

"  I  should  n't  wonder  if  you  think  of  going 
into  Parliament.  You  are  just  the  man  to 
make  laws." 

"  Well,  who  knows  ?  What  I  want  you  to 
understand  is,  that  if  your  father  were  alive  at 
this  moment,  I  should  n't  admit  that  he  had 
claim  upon  me  for  one  penny." 


EVE'S  HANSOM.  M 

"It  was  because  I  understood  it  already 
that  I  called  you  a  scoundrel." 

"  Now  be  careful,  my  lad,"  exclaimed  Den- 
gate,  as  again  he  winced  under  the  epithet. 
**  My  temper  may  get  the  better  of  me,  and  I 
should  be  sorry  for  it.  I  got  into  this  carriage 
with  you  (of  course  I  had  a  first-class  ticket) 
because  I  wanted  to  form  an  opinion  of  your 
character.  I  've  been  told  you  drink,  and  I 
see  that  you  do,  and  I  'm  sorry  for  it.  You  '11 
be  losing  your  place  before  long,  and  you  '11  go 
down.  Now  look  here  ;  you  've  called  me  foul 
names,  and  you  've  done  your  best  to  rile  me. 
Now  I  'm  going  to  make  you  ashamed  of  your- 
self." 

Milliard  fixed  the  speaker  with  his  scornful 
eyes ;  the  last  words  had  moved  him  to  curiosity. 

"  I  can  excuse  a  good  deal  in  a  man  with  an 
empty  pocket,"  pursued  the  other.  "  I  've 
been  there  myself ;  I  know  how  it  makes  you 
feel — how  much  do  you  earn,  by  the  bye  ?  " 


12  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Mind  you  own  business." 

"  All  right.  I  suppose  it 's  about  two  pounds 
a  week.  Would  you  like  to  know  what  my  in- 
come is  ?  Well,  something  like  two  pounds  an 
hour,  reckoning  eight  hours  as  the  working 
day.  There  's  a  difference,  is  n't  there  ?  It 
comes  of  minding  my  business,  you  see. 
You  '11  never  make  anything  like  it ;  you  find  it 
easier  to  abuse  people  who  work  than  to  work 
yourself.  Now  if  you  go  down  to  Liverpool, 
and  ask  how  I  got  to  my  present  position, 
you  '11  find  it  's  the  result  of  hard  and  honest 
work.     Understand  that :  honest  work.'l 

"  And  forgetting  to  pay  your  debts,"  threw 
in  the  young  man. 

"  It 's  eight  years  since  I  owed  any  man  a 
penny.  The  people  I  did  owq  money  to  were 
sensible  men  of  business — all  except  your 
father,  and  he  never  could  see  things  in  the 
right  light.  I  went  through  the  bankruptcy 
court,  and  I  made  arrangements  that  satisfied 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  13 

my  creditors.  I  should  have  satisfied  your 
father  too,  only  he  died." 

"  You  paid  tuppence  ha'penny  in  the 
pound." 

"No,  it  was  five  shillings,  and  my  creditors 
— sensible  men  of  business — were  satisfied. 
Now  look  here.  I  owed  your  father  four  hun- 
dred and  thirty-six  pounds,  but  he  did  n't  rank 
as  an  ordinary  creditor,  and  if  I  had  paid  him 
after  my  bankruptcy  it  would  have  been  just 
because  I  felt  a  respect  for  him — not  because 
he  had  any  legal  claim.  I  meant  to  pay  him 
— understand  that." 

Milliard  smiled.  Just  then  a  block  signal 
caused  the  train  to  slacken  speed.  Darkness 
had  fallen,  and  lights  glimmered  from  some 
cottages  by  the  line. 

"  You  don't  believe  me,"  added  Dengate. 

"  I  don't." 

The  prosperous  man  bit  his  lower  lip,  and 
sat  gazing  at  the  lamp  in  the  carriage.     The 


14  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

train  came  to  a  standstill ;  there  was  no  sound 
but  the  throbbing  of  the  engine. 

"Well,  listen  to  me,"  Dengate  resumed. 
You  're  turning  out  badly,  and  any  money 
you  get  you  're  pretty  sure  to  make  a  bad  use 
of.  But " — he  assumed  an  air  of  great  solem- 
nity— "  all  the  same — now  listen " 

"  I  'm  listening." 

"  Just  to  show  you  the  kind  of  a  man  I  am, 
and  to  make  you  feel  ashamed  of  yourself,  I  'm 
going  to  pay  you  the  money." 

For  a  few  seconds  there  was  unbroken  still- 
ness. The  men  gazed  at  each  other,  Dengate 
superbly  triumphant,  Milliard  incredulous  but 
betraying  excitement. 

"  I  'm  going  to  pay  you  four  hundred  and 
thirty-six  pounds,"  Dengate  repeated.  "■  No 
less  and  no  more.  It  is  n't  a  legal  debt,  so  I 
shall  pay  no  interest.  But  go  with  me  when 
we  get  to  Birmingham,  and  you  shall  have  my 
cheque  for  four  hundred  and  thirty-six  pounds." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  15 

The  train  began  to  move  on.  Hilliard  had 
uncrossed  his  legs,  and  sat  bending  forward, 
his  eyes  on  vacancy. 

"  Does  that  alter  your  opinion  of  me  ? " 
asked  the  other. 

"  I  sha'n't  believe  it  till  I  have  cashed  the 
cheque." 

"  You  *re  one  of  those  young  fellows  who 
think  so  much  of  themselves  they  've  no  good 
opinion  to  spare  for  anyone  else.  And  what  's 
more,  I  've  still  half  a  mind  to  give  you  a 
good  thrashing  before  I  give  you  the  cheque. 
There  's  just  about  time,  and  I  should  n't  won- 
der if  it  did  you  good.  You  want  some  of  the 
conceit  taken  out  of  you,  my  lad." 

Hilliard  seemed  not  to  hear  this.  Again  he 
fixed  his  eyes  on  the  other's  countenance. 

"  Do  you  say  you  are  going  to  pay  me  four 
hundred  pounds  ?  "  he  asked  slowly.     . 

"  Four  hundred  and  thirty-six.     You  '11  go  to 

the  devil  with  it,  but  that's  no  business  of  mine." 

2 

/ 


i6  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  There 's  just  one  thing  I  must  tell  you.  If 
this  is  a  joke,  keep  out  of  my  way  after  you  've 
played  it  out,  that 's  all." 

"It  is  n't  a  joke.  And  one  thing  I  have  to 
tell  you.  I  reserve  to  myself  the  right  of 
thrashing  you,  if  I  feel  in  the  humour  for  it." 

Milliard  gave  a  laugh,  then  threw  himself 
back  into  the  corner,  and  did  not  speak  again 
until  the  train  pulled  up  at  New  Street  station. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  N  hour  later  he  was  at  Old  Square, 
"^^^  waiting  for  the  tram  to  Aston.  Huge 
steam-driven  vehicles  came  and  went,  whirling 
about  the  open  space  with  monitory  bell-clang. 
Amid  a  press  of  homeward-going  workfolk, 
Hilliard  clambered  to  a  place  on  the  top  and 
lit  his  pipe.  He  did  not  look  the  same  man 
who  had  waited  gloomily  at  Dudley  Port ; 
his  eyes  gleamed  with  life  ;  answering  a  re- 
mark addressed  to  him  by  a  neighbour  on  the 
car,  he  spoke  jovially. 

No  rain  was  falling,  but  the  streets  shone 
wet  and  muddy  under  lurid  lamp-lights.  Just 
above  the  house-tops  appeared  the  full  moon, 
a  reddish  disk,  blurred  athwart  floating  vapour. 

The  car    drove  northward,  speedily   passing 
:  17 


1 8  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

from  the  region  of  main  streets  and  great  edi- 
fices into  a  squalid  district  of  factories  and 
workshops  and  crowded  by-ways.  At  Aston 
Church  the  young  man  alighted,  and  walked 
rapidly  for  five  minutes,  till  he  reached  a  row 
of  small  modern  houses.  Socially,  they  repre- 
sented a  step  or  two  upwards  in  the  gradation 
which,  at  Birmingham,  begins  with  the  num- 
bered court  and  culminates  in  the  mansions  of 
Edgbaston. 

He  knocked  at  a  door,  and  was  answered 
by  a  girl,  who  nodded  recognition. 

"  Mrs.  Milliard  in  ?  Just  tell  her  I  'm  here." 
There  was  a  natural  abruptness  in  his  voice, 
but  it  had  a  kindly  note,  and  a  pleasant  smile 
accompanied  it.  After  a  brief  delay  he  re- 
ceived permission  to  go  upstairs,  where  the 
door  of  a  sitting-room  stood  open.  Within 
was  a  young  woman,  slight,  pale,  and  pretty, 
who  showed  something  of  embarrassment, 
though  her  face  made  him  welcome. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  19 

"  I   expected  you   sooner." 

"  Business  kept  me  back.  Well,  little 
girl?" 

The  table  was  spread  for  tea,  and  at  one 
end  of  it,  on  a  high  chair,  sat  a  child  of  four 
years  old.  Milliard  kissed  her,  and  stroked 
her  curly  hair,  and  talked  with  playful  affec- 
tion. This  little  girl  was  his  niece,  the  child 
of  his  elder  brother,  who  had  died  three  years 
ago.  The  poorly  furnished  room  and  her  own 
attire  proved  that  Mrs.  Milliard  had  but  nar- 
row resources  in  her  widowhood.  Nor  did 
she  appear  a  woman  of  much  courage ;  tears 
had  thinned  her  cheeks,  and  her  delicate  hands 
had  suffered  noticeably  from  unwonted  house- 
hold work. 

Milliard  remarked  something  unusual  in 
her  behaviour  this  evening.  She  was  restless, 
and  kept  regarding  him  askance,  as  if  in  ap- 
prehension. A  letter  from  her,  in  which  she 
merely  said  she  wished  to  speak  to  him,  had 


30  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

summoned  him  hither  from  Dudley.  As  a 
rule,  they  saw  each  other  but  once  a  month. 

"  No  bad  news,  I  hope  ! "  he  remarked  aside 
to  her,  as  he  took  his  place  at  the  table. 

"  Oh,  no.     I  '11  tell  you  afterwards." 

Very  soon  after  the  meal  Mrs.  Milliard  took 
the  child  away  and  put  her  to  bed.  During 
her  absence  the  visitor  sat  brooding,  a  peculiar 
half-smile  on  his  face.  She  came  back,  drew 
a  chair  up  to  the  fire,  but  did  not  sit  down. 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?  "  asked  her  brother-in- 
law,  much  as  he  might  have  spoken  to  the 
little  girl. 

"  I  have  something  very  serious  to  talk 
about,  Maurice." 

"  Have  you  ?     All  right ;  go  ahead." 

"  I — I  am  so  very  much  afraid  I  shall  offend 
you." 

The  young  man  laughed. 

"Not  verj'  likely.  I  can  take  a  good  deal 
from  you." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  2 1 

She  stood  with  her  hands  on  the  back  of 
the  chair,  and  as  he  looked  at  her,  Milliard 
saw  her  pale  cheeks  grow  warm. 

"  It  '11  seem  very  strange  to  you,  Mau- 
rice." 

'*  Nothing  will  seem  strange  after  an  adven- 
ture I  Ve  had  this  afternoon.  You  shall  hear 
about  it  presently." 

"  Tell  me  your  story  first." 

"  That  's  like  a  woman.  All  right,  I  '11  tell 
you.  I  met  that  scoundrel  Dengate,  and — 
he  's  paid  me  the  money  he  owed  my 
father." 

"  He  has  paid  it  ?     Oh  !  really  ?  " 

"  See,  here  *s  a  cheque,  and  I  think  it  likely 
I  can  turn  it  into  cash.  The  blackgoiard  has 
been  doing  well  at  Liverpool.  I  'm  not  quite 
sure  that  I  understand  the  reptile,  but  he 
seems  to  have  given  me  this  because  I  abused 
him.  I  hurt  his  vanity,  and  he  could  n't  resist 
the  temptation  to  astonish  me.     He  thinks  I 


22  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

shall  go  about  proclaiming  him  a  noble  fellow. 
Four  hundred  and  thirty-six  pounds ;  there 
it  is." 

He  tossed  the  piece  of  paper  into  the  air 
with  boyish  glee,  and  only  just  caught  it  as  it 
was  fluttering  into  the  fire. 

"  Oh,  be  careful !  "  cried  Mrs.  Milliard. 

*'  I  told  him  he  was  a  scoundrel,  and  he  be- 
gan by  threatening  to  thrash  me.  I  'm  very 
glad  he  did  n't  try.  It  was  in  the  train,  and  I 
know  very  well  I  should  have  strangled  him. 
It  would  have  been  awkward,  you  know." 

"  Oh,  Maurice,  how  can  you ?" 

"Well,  here's  the  money;  and  half  of  it 
is  yours." 

"  Mine  ?  Oh,  no  !  After  all  you  have  given 
me.     Besides,  I  sha'n't  want  it." 

"How's  that?" 

Their  eyes  met.  Hilliard  again  saw  the 
flush  in  her  cheeks,  and  began  to  guess  its  ex- 
planation.    He  looked  puzzled,  interested. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  aj 

"  Do  I  know  him  ?  "  was  his  next  inquiry. 

"  Should  you  think  it  very  wrong  of  me?" 
She  moved  aside  from  the  line  of  his  gaze. 
"  I  could  n't  imagine  how  you  would  take  it." 

"  It  all  depends.     Who  is  the  man  ?  " 

Still  shrinking  towards  a  position  where  Mill- 
iard could  not  easily  observe  her,  the  young 
widow  told  her  story.  She  had  consented  to 
marry  a  man  of  whom  her  brother-in-law  knew 
little  but  the  name,  one  Ezra  Marr ;  he  was 
turned  forty,  a  widower  without  children,  and 
belonged  to  a  class  of  small  employers  of  labour 
known  in  Birmingham  as  "  little  masters."  The 
contrast  between  such  a  man  and  Maurice 
Milliard's  brother  was  sufficiently  pronounced  ; 
but  the  widow  nervously  did  her  best  to  show 
Ezra  Marr  in  a  favourable  light. 

"  And  then,"  she  added  after  a  pause,  while 
Hilliard  was  reflecting,  "  I  could  n't  go  on  be- 
ing a  burden  on  you.  How  very  few  men 
would  have  done  what  you  have " 


24  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Stop  a  minute.  Is  ^Aa^  the  real  reason  ? 
If  so " 

Hurriedly  she  interposed. 

"  That  was  only  one  of  the  reasons — only 
one." 

Milliard  knew  very  well  that  her  marriage 
had  not  been  entirely  successful ;  it  seemed  to 
him  very  probable  that  with  a  husband  of  the 
artisan  class,  a  vigorous  and  go-ahead  fellow, 
she  would  be  better  mated  than  in  the  former 
instance.  He  felt  sorry  for  his  little  niece,  but 
there  again  sentiment  doubtless  conflicted  with 
common-sense.  A  few  more  questions,  and  it 
became  clear  to  him  that  he  had  no  ground  of 
resistance. 

"  Very  well.  Most  likely  you  are  doing  a 
wise  thing.  And  half  this  money  is  yours ; 
you  '11  find  it  useful." 

The  discussion  of  this  point  was  interrupted 
by  a  tap  at  the  door.  Mrs.  Hilliard,  after 
leaving  the  room  for  a  moment,  returned  with 
rosy  countenance. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  ,25 

"  He  is  here,"  she  murmured.  "  I  thought 
I  should  like  you  to  meet  him  this  evening. 
Do  you  mind?" 

Mr.  Marr  entered  ;  a  favourable  specimen  of 
his  kind ;  strong,  comely,  frank  of  look  and 
speech.  Milliard  marvelled  somewhat  at  his 
choice  of  the  frail  and  timid  little  widow,  and 
hoped  upon  marriage  would  follow  no  repent- 
ance. A  friendly  conversation  between  the 
two  men  confirmed  them  in  mutual  good  opin- 
ion. At  length  Mrs.  Milliard  spoke  of  the 
offer  of  money  made  by  her  brother-in-law. 

"  I  don't  feel  I  've  any  right  to  it,"  she  said, 
after  explaining  the  circumstances.  "  You  know 
what  Maurice  has  done  for  me.  I  've  always 
felt  I  was  robbing  him " 

"  I  wanted  to  say  something  about  that," 
put  in  the  bass-voiced  Ezra.  "  I  want  to  tell 
you,  Mr.  Milliard,  that  you  're  a  man  I  'm  proud 
to  know,  and  proud  to  shake  hands  with.  And 
if  my  view  goes  for  anything,  Emily  won't  take 
a  penny  of  what  you  're  offering  her.     I  should 


26  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

think  it  wrong  and  mean.  It  is  about  time- 
that  's  my  way  of  thinking — that  you  looked 
after  your  own  interests.  Emily  has  no  claim 
to  a  share  in  this  money,  and  what  *s  more,  I 
don't  wish  her  to  take  it." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Milliard.  "  I  tell  you  what 
we  '11  do.  A  couple  of  hundred  pounds  shall 
be  put  aside  for  the  little  girl.  You  can't  make 
any  objection  to  that." 

The  mother  glanced  doubtfully  at  her  future 
husband,  but  Marr  again  spoke  with  emphasis. 

"Yes,  I  do  object.  If  you  don't  mind  me 
saying  it,  I  'm  quite  able  to  look  after  the  little 
girl ;  and  the  fact  is,  I  want  her  to  grow  up 
looking  to  me  as  her  father,  and  getting  all  she 
has  from  me  only.  Of  course,  I  mean  nothing 
but  what 's  friendly  :  but  there  it  is  ;  I  'd  rather 
Winnie  did  n't  have  the  money." 

This  man  was  in  the  habit  of  speaking  his 
mind  ;  Milliard  understood  that  any  insistence 
would  only  disturb  the  harmony  of  the  occa- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  27 

sion.  He  waved  a  hand,  smiled  good-naturedly, 
and  said  no  more. 

About  nine  o'clock  he  left  the  house  and 
walked  to  Aston  Church.  While  he  stood 
there,  waiting  for  the  tram,  a  voice  fell  upon 
his  ear  that  caused  him  to  look  round. 
Crouched  by  the  entrance  to  the  churchyard 
was  a  beggar  in  filthy  rags,  his  face  hideously 
bandaged,  before  him  on  the  pavement  a  little 
heap  of  matchboxes  ;  this  creature  kept  utter- 
ing a  meaningless  sing-song,  either  idiot  jabber, 
or  calculated  to  excite  attention  and  pity ;  it 
sounded  something  like  "  A-pah-pahky  ;  pah- 
pahky  ;  pah  "  ;  repeated  a  score  of  times,  and 
resumed  after  a  pause.  Milliard  gazed  and 
listened,  then  placed  a  copper  in  the  wretch's 
extended  palm,  and  turned  away  muttering, 
"  What  a  cursed  world  ! " 

He  was  again  on  the  tram-car  before  he  ob- 
served that  the  full  moon,  risen  into  a  sky  now 
clear  of  grosser  vapours,  gleamed  brilliant  sil- 


28  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

ver  above  the  mean  lights  of  earth.  And 
round  about  it,  in  so  vast  a  circumference  that 
it  was  only  detected  by  the  wandering  eye, 
spread  a  softly  radiant  halo.  This  vision  did 
not  long  occupy  his  thoughts,  but  at  intervals 
he  again  looked  upward,  to  dream  for  a  mo- 
ment on  the  silvery  splendour  and  on  that  wide 
halo  dim-glimmering  athwart  the  track  of  stars. 


CHAPTER  III. 

INSTEAD  of  making  for  the  railway  sta- 
tion, to  take  a  train  back  to  Dudley,  he 
crossed  from  the  northern  to  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  town,  and  by  ten  o'clock  was 
in  one  of  the  streets  which  lead  out  of  Mose- 
ley  Road.  Here,  at  a  house  such  as  lodges 
young  men  in  business,  he  made  inquiry  for 
"  Mr.  Narramore,"  and  was  forthwith  admitted. 

Robert  Narramore,  a  long-stemmed  pipe  at 
his  lips,  sat  by  the  fireside  ;  on  the  table  lay  the 
materials  of  a  satisfactory  supper — a  cold  fowl, 
a  ham,  a  Stilton  cheese,  and  a  bottle  of  wine. 

"  Hollo  !  You  ?"  he  exclaimed,  without  ris- 
ing. **  I  was  going  to  write  to  you  ;  thanks 
for  saving  me  the  trouble.  Have  something 
to  eat?" 

«9 


30  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Yes,  and  to  drink  likewise." 

"  Do  you  mind  ringing  the  bell  ?  I  believe 
there  *s  a  bottle  of  Burgundy  left.  If  not, 
plenty  of  Bass." 

He  stretched  forth  a  languid  hand,  smiling 
amiably.  Narramore  was  the  image  of  luxu- 
rious indolence  ;  he  had  pleasant  features,  dark 
hair  inclined  to  curliness,  a  well-built  frame  set 
off  by  good  tailoring.  His  income  from  the 
commercial  house  in  which  he  held  a  post  of  re- 
sponsibility would  have  permitted  him  to  occupy 
better  quarters  than  these  ;  but  here  he  had 
lived  for  ten  years,  and  he  preferred  a  few  in- 
conveniences to  the  trouble  of  moving.  Trouble 
of  any  kind  was  Robert's  bugbear.  His  prog- 
ress up  the  commercial  ladder  seemed  due 
rather  to  the  luck  which  favours  amiable  and 
good-looking  young  fellows  than  to  any  special 
ability  or  effort  of  his  own.  The  very  sound 
of  his  voice  had  a  drowsiness  which  soothed 
— if  it  did  not  irritate — the  listener. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  31 

"  Tell  them  to  lay  out  the  truckle-bed,"  said 
Milliard,  when  he  had  pulled  the  bell.  "  I  shall 
stay  here  to-night." 

"Good!" 

Their  talk  was  merely  interjectional,  until  the 
visitor  had  begun  to  appease  his  hunger  and  had 
drawn  the  cork  of  a  second  bottle  of  bitter  ale. 

"  This  is  a  great  day,"  Hilliard  then  ex- 
claimed. "  I  left  Dudley  this  afternoon  feel- 
ing ready  to  cut  my  throat.  Now  I  'm  a  free 
man,  with  the  world  before  me." 

"How's  that?" 

"  Emily  's  going  to  take  a  second  husband — 
that 's  one  thing." 

"  Heaven  be  praised !  Better  than  one  could 
have  looked  for." 

Hilliard  related  the  circumstances.  Then  he 
drew  from  his  pocket  an  oblong  slip  of  paper, 
and  held  it  out. 

"  Dengate  ?  "  cried  his  friend.  "  How  the 
deuce  did  you  get  hold  of  this  ?  " 


32 


EVE'S  RANSOM. 


Explanation  followed.  They  debated  Den- 
gate's  character  and  motives. 

"  I  can  understand  it,"  said  Narramore. 
**  When  I  was  a  boy  of  twelve  I  once  cheated 
an  apple-woman  out  of  three-halfpence.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen  I  encountered  the  old  wo- 
man again,  and  felt  immense  satisfaction  in 
giving  her  a  shilling.  But  then,  you  see,  I  had 
done  with  petty  cheating ;  I  wished  to  clear 
my  conscience,  and  look  my  fellow-woman  in 
the  face." 

"  That 's  it,  no  doubt.  He  seems  to  have  got 
some  sort  of  position  in  Liverpool  society,  and 
he  did  n't  like  the  thought  that  there  was  a  poor 
devil  at  Dudley  who  went  about  calling  him  a 
scoundrel.  By-the-bye,  someone  told  him  that 
I  had  taken  to  liquor,  and  was  on  my  way  to 
destruction  generally.  I  don't  know  who  it 
could  be." 

"  Oh,  we  all  have  candid  friends  that  talk 
about  us." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  33 

"  It 's  true  I  have  been  drunk  now  and  then 
of  late.  There  's  much  to  be  said  for  getting 
drunk." 

"  Much,"  assented  Narramore,  philosophi- 
cally. 

Milliard  went  on  with  his  supper  ;  his  friend 
puffed  tobacco,  and  idly  regarded  the  cheque 
he  was  still  holding. 

"  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  "  he  asked 
at  length. 

There  came  no  reply,  and  several  minutes 
passed  in  silence.  Then  Milliard  rose  from 
the  table,  paced  the  floor  once  or  twice,  selected 
a  cigar  from  a  box  that  caught  his  eye,  and,  in 
cutting  off  the  end,  observed  quietly — 

"  I  'm  going  to  live." 

"  Wait  a  minute.  We  '11  have  the  table 
cleared,  and  a  kettle  on  the  fire." 

While  the  servant  was  busy,  Milliard  stood 
with  an  elbow  on  the  mantelpiece,  thoughtfully 
smoking  his  cigar.     At  Narramore's  request, 


34  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

he  mixed  two  tumblers  of  whisky  toddy,  then 
took  a  draught  from  his  own,  and  returned  to 
his  former  position. 

"  Can't  you  sit  down  ?  "  said  Narramore. 

"  No,  I  can't." 

"  What  a  fellow  you  are  !  With  nerves  like 
yours,  I  should  have  been  in  my  grave  years 
ago.     You  're  going  to  live,  eh  ?" 

"  Going  to  be  a  machine  no  longer.  Can  I 
call  myself  a  man  ?  There 's  precious  little 
difference  between  a  fellow  like  me  and  the 
damned  grinding  mechanism  that  I  spend  my 
days  in  drawing — that  roars  all  day  in  my  ears 
and  deafens  me.  I  '11  put  an  end  to  that. 
Here  's  four  hundred  pounds.  It  shall  mean 
four  hundred  pounds'-worth  of  life.  While 
this  money  lasts,  I  '11  feel  that  I  'm  a  human 
being." 

"  Something  to  be  said  for  that,"  commented 
the  listener,  in  his  tone  of  drowsy  impartiality. 

"I   offered  Emily  half   of    it.     She  didn't 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  35 

want  to  take  it,  and  the  man  Marr  would  n't 
let  her.  I  offered  to  lay  it  aside  for  the  child, 
but  Marr  would  n't  have  that  either.  It 's  fairly 
mine." 

"  Undoubtedly." 

"  Think  !  The  first  time  in  my  life  that  I  Ve 
had  money  on  which  no  one  else  had  a  claim. 
When  the  poor  old  father  died,  Will  and  I  had 
to  go  shares  in  keeping  up  the  home.  Our 
sister  could  n't  earn  anything  ;  she  had  her 
work  set  in  attending  to  her  mother.  When 
mother  died,  and  Marian  married,  it  looked  as 
if  I  had  only  myself  to  look  after  :  then  came 
Will's  death,  and  half  my  income  went  to  keep 
his  wife  and  child  from  the  workhouse.  You 
know  very  well  I've  never  grudged  it.  It's 
my  faith  that  we  do  what  we  do  because  any- 
thing else  would  be  less  agreeable.  It  was 
more  to  my  liking  to  live  on  a  pound  a  week 
than  to  see  Emily  and  the  little  lass  suffer 
want.     I  've  no  right  to  any  thanks  or  praise 


^6  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

for  it.  But  the  change  has  come  none  too 
soon.  There  'd  have  been  a  paragraph  in  the 
Dudley  paper  some  rainy  morning." 

"  Yes,  I  was  rather  afraid  of  that,"  said  Nar- 
ramore  musingly. 

He  let  a  minute  elapse,  whilst  his  friend 
paced  the  room ;  then  added  in  the  same 
voice  : 

"  We  're  in  luck  at  the  same  time.  My  un- 
cle Sol  was  found  dead  this  morning." 

*'  Do  you  come  in  for  much  ?" 

"  We  don't  know  what  he 's  left,  but  I  'm 
down  for  a  substantial  fraction  in  a  will  he 
made  three  years  ago.  Nobody  knew  it,  but 
he  's  been  stark  mad  for  the  last  six  months. 
He  took  a  bed-room  out  Bordesley  way,  in  a 
false  name,  and  stored  it  with  a  ton  or  two  of 
tinned  meats  and  vegetables.  There  the  land- 
lady found  him  lying  dead  this  morning  ;  she 
learnt  who  he  was  from  the  papers  in  his  pocket. 
It 's  come  out  that  he  had  made  friends  with 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  37 

some  old  boozer  of  that  neighbourhood  ;  he 
told  him  that  England  was  on  the  point  of  a 
grand  financial  smash,  and  that  half  the  popu- 
lation would  die  of  hunger.  To  secure  him- 
self, he  began  to  lay  in  the  stock  of  tinned 
provisions.  One  can't  help  laughing,  poor  old 
chap !  That 's  the  result,  you  see,  of  a  life 
spent  in  sweating  for  money.  As  a  young  man 
he  had  hard  times,  and  when  his  invention  suc- 
ceeded, it  put  him  off  balance  a  bit.  I  've  of- 
ten thought  he  had  a  crazy  look  in  his  eye. 
He  may  have  thrown  away  a  lot  of  his  money 
in  mad  tricks  :  who  knows  ?  " 

"  That 's  the  end  the  human  race  will  come 
to,"  said  Milliard.  "  It  '11  be  driven  mad  and 
killed  off  by  machinery.  Before  long  there  '11 
be  machines  for  washing  and  dressing  peo- 
ple— machines  for  feeding  them — machines 
for " 

His  wrathful  imagination  led  him  to  gro- 
tesque ideas  which  ended  in  laughter. 


38  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Well,  I  have  a  year  or  two  before  me.  I  '11 
know  what  enjoyment  means.  And  after- 
wards  " 

"  Yes  ;  what  afterwards  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  may  choose  to  come 
back ;  I  may  prefer  to  make  an  end.  Impos- 
sible to  foresee  my  state  of  mind  after  living 
humanly  for  a  year  or  two.  And  what  shall 
you  do  if  you  come  in  for  a  lot  of  money  ?  " 

"  It 's  not  likely  to  be  more  than  a  few  thou- 
sands," replied  Narramore.  "  And  the  chances 
are  I  shall  go  on  in  the  old  way.  What 's  the 
good  of  a  few  thousands  ?  I  have  n't  the  en- 
ergy to  go  off  and  enjoy  myself  in  your  fash- 
ion. One  of  these  days  I  may  think  of  getting 
married,  and  marriage,  you  know,  is  devilish 
expensive.  I  should  like  to  have  three  or  four 
thousand  a  year ;  you  can't  start  housekeeping 
on  less,  if  you  're  not  to  be  bored  to  death  with 
worries.  Perhaps  I  may  get  a  partnership  in 
our  house.     I  began  life  in  the  brass  bedstead 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  39 

line,  and  I  may  as  well  stick  to  brass  bedsteads 
to  the  end  :  the  demand  is  n't  likely  to  fall  off. 
Please  fill  my  glass  again." 

Hilliard,  the  while,  had  tossed  off  his  second 
tumbler.     He  began  to  talk  at  random. 

"  I  shall  go  to  London  first  of  all.  I  may 
go  abroad.  Reckon  a  pound  a  day.  Three 
hundred  and — how  many  days  are  there  in  a 
year?  Three  hundred  and  sixty-five.  That 
does  n't  allow  me  two  years.  I  want  two  years 
of  life.  Half  a  sovereign  a  day,,  then.  One 
can  do  a  good  deal  with  half  a  sovereign  a  day 
— don't  you  think  ?  " 

"  Not  very  much,  if  you  're  particular  about 
your  wine." 

"  Wine  does  n't  matter.  Honest  ale  and 
Scotch  whisky  will  serve  well  enough.  Un- 
derstand me  ;  I  'm  not  going  in  for  debauch- 
ery, and  I  'm  not  going  to  play  the  third-rate 
swell.  There 's  no  enjoyment  in  making  a 
beast  of  oneself,  and  none  for  me  in  strutting 


40  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

about  the  streets  like  an  animated  figure  out 
of  a  tailor's  window.  I  want  to  know  the  taste 
of  free  life,  human  life.  I  want  to  forget  that 
I  ever  sat  at  a  desk,  drawing  to  scale — drawing 
damned  machines.     I  want  to " 

He  checked  himself.  Narramore  looked  at 
him  with  curiosity. 

"  It 's  a  queer  thing  to  me,  Milliard, "  he  re- 
marked, when  his  friend  turned  away,  "  that 
you  've  kept  so  clear  of  women.  Now,  any- 
one would  think  you  were  just  the  fellow  to 
get  hobbled  in  that  way." 

"  I  daresay,"  muttered  the  other.  "  Yes,  it 
is  a  queer  thing.  I  have  been  saved,  I  sup- 
pose, by  the  necessity  of  supporting  my  rela- 
tives. I  Ve  seen  so  much  of  women  suffering 
from  poverty  that  it  has  got  me  into  the  habit 
of  thinking  of  them  as  nothing  but  burdens  to 
a  man." 

"  As  they  nearly  always  are." 

"  Yes,  nearly  always." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  41 

Narramore  pondered  with  his  amiable  smile  ; 
the  other,  after  a  moment's  gloom,  shook  him- 
self free  again,  and  talked  with  growing  ex- 
hilaration of  the  new  life  that  had  dawned 
before  him. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HILLIARD'S  lodgings — they  were  rep- 
resented by  a  single  room  —  com- 
manded a  prospect  which,  to  him  a  weariness 
and  a  disgust,  would  have  seemed  impres- 
sive enough  to  eyes  beholding  it  for  the 
first  time.  On  the  afternoon  of  his  last  day 
at  Dudley  he  stood  by  the  window  and  looked 
forth,  congratulating  himself,  with  a  fierceness 
of  emotion  which  defied  misgiving,  that  he 
would  gaze  no  more  on  this  scene  of  his  servi- 
tude. 

The  house  was  one  of  a  row  situated  on  a 
terrace,  above  a  muddy  declivity  marked  with 
footpaths.  It  looked  over  a  wide  expanse  of 
waste  ground,  covered  in  places  with  coarse 

herbage,  but  for  the  most  part  undulating  in 

42 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  43 

bare  tracts  of  slag  and  cinder.  Opposite,  some 
quarter  of  a  mile  away,  rose  a  lofty  dome-shaped 
hill,  tree-clad  from  base  to  summit,  and  rearing 
above  the  bare  branches  of  its  topmost  trees 
the  ruined  keep  of  Dudley  Castle.  Along  the 
foot  of  this  hill  ran  the  highway  which  descends 
from  Dudley  town — hidden  by  rising  ground 
on  the  left — to  the  low-lying  railway-station  ; 
there,  beyond,  the  eye  traversed  a  great  plain, 
its  limit  the  blending  of  earth  and  sky  in  lurid 
cloud.  A  ray  of  yellow  sunset  touched  the 
height  and  its  crowning  ruin  ;  at  the  zenith 
shone  a  space  of  pure  pale  blue  :  save  for  these 
points  of  relief  the  picture  was  colourless  and 
uniformly  sombre.  Far  and  near,  innumerable 
chimneys  sent  forth  fumes  of  various  density  : 
broad-flung  jets  of  steam,  coldly  white  against 
the  murky  distance  ;  wan  smoke  from  lime- 
kilns, wafted  in  long  trails  ;  reek  of  solid  black- 
ness from  pits  and  forges,  voluming  aloft  and 
far-floated  by  the  sluggish  wind. 


44  EVE*S  RANSOM. 

Born  at  Birmingham,  the  son  of  a  teacher 
of  drawing,  Maurice  Hilliard  had  spent  most 
of  his  life  in  the  Midland  capital ;  to  its  grammar 
school  he  owed  an  education  just  sufficiently 
prolonged  to  unfit  him  for  the  tasks  of  an 
underling,  yet  not  thorough  enough  to  qualify 
him  for  professional  life.  In  boyhood  he  as- 
pired to  the  career  of  an  artist,  but  his  father, 
himself  the  wreck  of  a  would-be  painter,  rudely 
discouraged  this  ambition  ;  by  way  of  compro- 
mise between  the  money-earning  craft  and  the 
beggarly  art,  he  became  a  mechanical-draughts- 
man. Of  late  years  he  had  developed  a  strong 
taste  for  the  study  of  architecture ;  much  of 
his  leisure  was  given  to  this  subject,  and  what 
money  he  could  spare  went  in  the  purchase  of 
books  and  prints  which  helped  him  to  extend 
his  architectural  knowledge.  In  moods  of 
hope,  he  had  asked  himself  whether  it  might 
not  be  possible  to  escape  from  bondage  to  the 
gods  of  iron,  and  earn  a  living  in  an  architect's 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  45 

office.  That  desire  was  now  forgotten  in  his 
passionate  resolve  to  enjoy  liberty  without  re- 
gard for  the  future. 

All  his  possessions,  save  the  articles  of  cloth- 
ing which  he  would  carry  with  him,  were  packed 
in  a  couple  of  trunks,  to  be  sent  on  the  mor- 
row to  Birmingham,  where  they  would  lie  in 
the  care  of  his  friend  Narramore.  Kinsfolk 
he  had  none  whom  he  cared  to  remember,  ex- 
cept his  sister ;  she  lived  at  Wolverhampton,  a 
wife  and  mother,  in  narrow  but  not  oppressive 
circumstances,  and  Hilliard  had  taken  leave  of 
her  in  a  short  visit  some  days  ago.  He  would 
not  wait  for  the  wedding  of  his  sister-in-law ; 
enough  that  she  was  provided  for,  and  that  his 
conscience  would  always  be  at  ease  on  her 
account. 

For  he  was  troubled  with  a  conscience — even 
with  one  unusually  poignant.  An  anecdote 
from  his  twentieth  year  depicts  this  feature  of 
the  man.     He  and  Narramore  were  walking 


46  EVE*S  RANSOM. 

one  night  in  a  very  poor  part  of  Birmingham, 
and  for  some  reason  they  chanced  to  pause  by 
a  shop-window — a  small  window,  lighted  with 
one  gas-jet,  and  laid  out  with  a  miserable  hand- 
ful of  paltry  wares  ;  the  shop,  however,  was 
newly  opened,  and  showed  a  pathetic  attempt 
at  cleanliness  and  neatness.  The  friends  asked 
each  other  how  it  could  possibly  benefit  any- 
one to  embark  in  such  a  business  as  that,  and 
laughed  over  the  display.  While  he  was  laugh- 
ing, Milliard  became  aware  of  a  woman  in  the 
doorway,  evidently  the  shopkeeper;  she  had 
heard  their  remarks  and  looked  distressed. 
Infinitely  keener  was  the  pang  which  Maurice 
experienced ;  he  could  not  forgive  himself, 
kept  exclaiming  how  brutally  he  had  behaved, 
and  sank  into  gloominess.  Not  very  long  after, 
he  took  Narramore  to  walk  in  the  same  direc- 
tion ;  they  came  again  to  the  little  shop,  and 
Milliard  surprised  his  companion  with  a  trium- 
phant  shout.     The  window  was  now  laid  out 


EVE 'S  EAI^SOM.  47 

in  a  much  more  promising  way,  with  goods  of 
modest  value.  "  You  remember  ?  "  said  the 
young  man.  "  I  could  n't  rest  till  I  had  sent  her 
something.  She  '11  wonder  to  the  end  of  her 
life  who  the  money  came  from.  But  she 's  made 
use  of  it,  poor  creature,  and  it  '11  bring  her  luck." 

Only  the  hopeless  suppression  of  natural 
desires,  the  conflict  through  years  of  ardent 
youth  with  sordid  circumstances,  could  have 
brought  him  to  the  pass  he  had  now  reached — 
one  of  desperation  centred  in  self.  Every 
suggestion  of  native  suavity  and  prudence  was 
swept  away  in  tumultuous  revolt.  Another 
twelvemonth  of  his  slavery  and  he  would  have 
yielded  to  brutalising  influences  which  rarely 
relax  their  hold  upon  a  man.  To-day  he  was 
prompted  by  the  instinct  of  flight  from  peril 
threatening  all  that  was  worthy  in  him. 

Just  as  the  last  glimmer  of  daylight  vanished 
from  his  room  there  sounded  a  knock  at  the 
door. 


48  EVE 'S  RANSOM. 

"Your  tea's  ready,  Mr.  Hilliard,"  called  a 
woman's  voice. 

He  took  his  meals  downstairs  in  the  land- 
lady's parlour.  Appetite  at  present  he  had 
none,  but  the  pretence  of  eating  was  a  way  of 
passing  the  time  ;  so  he  descended  and  sat 
down  at  the  prepared  table. 

His  wandering  eyes  fell  on  one  of  the  orna- 
ments of  the  room — Mrs.  Brewer's  album.  On 
first  coming  to  live  in  the  house,  two  years  ago, 
he  had  examined  this  collection  of  domestic 
portraits,  and  subsequently,  from  time  to  time, 
had  taken  up  the  album  to  look  at  one  photo- 
graph which  interested  him.  Among  an  as- 
semblage of  types  excelling  in  ugliness  of 
feature  and  hideousness  of  costume — types  of 
toil-worn  age,  of  ungainly  middle  life,  and  of 
youth  lacking  every  grace,  such  as  are  exhibited 
in  the  albums  of  the  poor — there  was  discover- 
able one  female  portrait  in  which,  the  longer 
he  gazed  at  it,  Hilliard  found  an  ever-increas- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  49 

ing  suggestiveness  of  those  qualities  he  desired 
in  woman.  Unclasping  the  volume,  he  opened 
immediately  at  this  familiar  face.  A  month  or 
two  had  elapsed  since  he  last  regarded  it,  and 
the  countenance  took  possession  of  him  with 
the  same  force  as  ever. 

It  was  that  of  a  young  woman  probably  past 
her  twentieth  year.  Unlike  her  neighbours  in 
the  album,  she  had  not  bedizened  herself  be- 
fore sitting  to  be  portrayed.  The  abundant 
hair  was  parted  simply  and  smoothly  from  her 
forehead  and  tightly  plaited  behind  ;  she  wore 
a  linen  collar,  and,  so  far  as  could  be  judged 
from  the  portion  included  in  the  picture,  a 
homely  cloth  gown.  Her  features  were  comely 
and  intelligent,  and  exhibited  a  gentleness,  al- 
most a  meekness  of  expression  which  was  as 
far  as  possible  from  seeming  affected.  Whether 
she  smiled  or  looked  sad  Hilliard  had  striven 
vainly  to  determine.  Her  lips  appeared  to 
smile,  but  in  so  slight  a  degree  that  perchance 


50  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

it  was  merely  an  effect  of  natural  line  ;  whereas, 
if  the  mouth  were  concealed,  a  profound  mel- 
ancholy at  once  ruled  the  visage. 

Who  she  was  Hilliard  had  no  idea.  More 
than  once  he  had  been  on  the  point  of  asking 
his  landlady,  but  characteristic  delicacies  re- 
strained him  :  he  feared  Mrs.  Brewer's  mental 
comment,  and  dreaded  the  possible  disclosure 
that  he  had  admired  a  housemaid  or  someone 
of  yet  lower  condition.  Nor  could  he  trust 
his  judgment  of  the  face  :  perhaps  it  shone  only 
by  contrast  with  so  much  ugliness  on  either 
side  of  it ;  perhaps,  in  the  starved  condition  of 
his  senses,  he  was  ready  to  find  perfection 
in  any  female  countenance  not  frankly  re- 
pulsive. 

Yet,  no  ;  it  was  a  beautiful  face.  Beautiful, 
at  all  events,  in  the  sense  of  being  deeply  in- 
teresting, in  the  strength  of  its  appeal  to  his 
emotions.  Another  man  might  pass  it  slight- 
ingly ;  to  him  it  spoke  as  no  other  face  had 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  51 

ever  spoken.  It  awakened  in  him  a  conscious- 
ness of  profound  sympathy. 

While  he  still  sat  at  table  his  landlady  came 
in.  She  was  a  worthy  woman  of  her  class,  not 
given  to  vulgar  gossip.  Her  purpose  in  enter- 
ing the  room  at  this  moment  was  to  ask  Mill- 
iard whether  he  had  a  likeness  of  himself  which 
he  could  spare  her,  as  a  memento. 

"  I  'm  sorry  I  don't  possess  such  a  thing," 
he  answered,  laughing,  surprised  that  the  wo- 
man should  care  enough  about  him  to  make 
the  request.  "  But,  talking  of  photographs, 
would  you  tell  me  who  this  is  ?  " 

The  album  lay  beside  him,  and  a  feeling  of 
embarrassment,  as  he  saw  Mrs.  Brewer's  look 
rest  upon  it,  impelled  him  to  the  decisive  ques- 
tion. 

"  That  ?  Oh  !  that 's  a  friend  of  my  daugh- 
ter Martha's — Eve  Madeley.  I  'm  sure  I  don't 
wonder  at  you  noticing  her.  But  it  does  n't  do 
her  justice  ;  she 's  better  looking  than  that.     It 


52  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

was  took  better  than  two  years  ago — why,  just 
before  you  came  to  me,  Mr.  HilHard.  She  was 
going  away — to  London." 

"  Eve  Madeley."  He  repeated  the  name  to 
himself,  and  liked  it. 

"  She  's  had  a  deal  of  trouble,  poor  thing," 
pursued  the  landlady.  "  We  was  sorry  to  lose 
sight  of  her,  but  glad,  I  'm  sure,  that  she  went 
away  to  do  better  for  herself.  She  has  n't  been 
home  since  then,  and  we  don't  hear  of  her  com- 
ing, and  I  'm  sure  nobody  can  be  surprised. 
But  our  Martha  heard  from  her  not  so  long 
ago — why,  it  was  about  Christmas-time." 

"Is  she" — he  was  about  to  add,  "in  ser- 
vice ?  "  but  could  not  voice  the  words.  "  She 
has  an  engagement  in  London  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  she  's  a  bookkeeper,  and  earns  her 
pound  a  week.  She  was  always  clever  at  fig- 
ures. She  got  on  so  well  at  the  school  that 
they  wanted  her  to  be  a  teacher,  but  she  did  n't 
like  it.     Then  Mr.  Reckitt,  the  ironmonger,  a 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  53 

friend  of  her  father's,  got  her  to  help  him  with 
his  books  and  bills  of  an  evening,  and  when  she 
was  seventeen,  because  his  business  was  grow- 
ing and  he  had  n't  much  of  a  head  for  figures 
himself,  he  took  her  regular  into  the  shop. 
And  glad  she  was  to  give  up  the  school-teach- 
ing, for  she  could  never  abear  it." 
"  You  say  she  had  a  lot  of  trouble  ?" 
"  Ah,  that  indeed  she  had  !  And  all  her 
father's  fault.  But  for  him,  foolish  man,  they 
might  have  been  a  well-to-do  family.  But  he 's 
had  to  suffer  for  it  himself,  too.  He  lives  up 
here  on  the  hill,  in  a  poor  cottage,  and  takes 
wages  as  a  timekeeper  at  Robinson's  when  he 
ought  to  have  been  paying  men  of  his  own. 
The  drink — that  's  what  it  was.  When  our 
Martha  first  knew  them  they  were  living  at 
Walsall,  and  if  it  had  n't  a'  been  for  Eve  they  'd 
have  had  no  home  at  all.  Martha  got  to  know 
her  at  the  Sunday-school ;  Eve  used  to  teach 
a  class.     That's  seven  or  eight  years  ago  ;  she 


54  EVE'S  HANSOM. 

was  only  a  girl  of  sixteen,  but  she  had  the  ways 
of  a  grown-up  woman,  and  very  lucky  it  was 
for  them  belonging  to  her.  Often  and  often 
they  've  gone  for  days  with  nothing  but  a  dry 
loaf,  and  the  father  spending  all  he  got  at  the 
public." 

"  Was  it  a  large  family  ?"  Hilliard  inquired. 

"  Well,  let  me  see ;  at  that  time  there  was 
Eve's  two  sisters  and  her  brother.  Two  other 
children  had  died,  and  the  mother  was  dead, 
too.  I  don't  know  much  about  her,  but  they 
say  she  was  a  very  good  sort  of  woman,  and 
it's  likely  the  eldest  girl  took  after  her.  A  qui- 
eter and  modester  girl  than  Eve  there  never 
was.  Our  Martha  lived  with  her  aunt  at  Wal- 
sall— that  's  my  only  sister,  and  she  was  bed- 
rid, poor  thing,  and  had  Martha  to  look  after 
her.  And  when  she  died,  and  Martha  came 
back  here  to  us,  the  Madeley  family  came 
here  as  well,  'cause  the  father  got  some  kind 
of  work.     But  he   could  n't  keep   it,  and  he 


EVEIS  RANSOM.  55 

went  off  I  don't  know  where,  and  Eve  had  the 
children  to  keep  and  look  after.  We  used  to 
do  what  we  could  to  help  her,  but  it  was  a 
cruel  life  for  a  poor  thing  of  her  age — ^just 
when  she  ought  to  have  been  enjoying  her 
life,  as  you  may  say." 

Milliard's  interest  waxed. 

"  Then,"  pursued  Mrs.  Brewer,  "  the  next 
sister  to  Eve,  Laura  her  name  was,  went  to 
Birmingham,  into  a  sweetstuff  shop,  and  that 
was  the  last  ever  seen  or  heard  of  her.  She 
was  n't  a  girl  to  be  depended  upon,  and  I 
never  thought  she  'd  come  to  good,  and 
whether  she  's  alive  or  dead  there  's  no  know- 
ing. Eve  took  it  to  heart,  that  she  did.  And 
not  six  months  after,  the  other  girl  had  the 
'sipelas,  and  she  died,  and  just  as  they  was 
carrying  her  coffin  out  of  the  house,  who  should 
come  up  but  her  father  !  He  'd  been  away  for 
nearly  two  years,  just  sending  a  little  money  now 
and  then,  and  he  did  n't  even  know  the  girl 


56  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

had  been  ailing.  And  when  he  saw  the  cofifin, 
it  took  him  so  that  he  fell  down  just  like  a  dead 
man.  You  would  n't  have  thought  it,  but 
there  's  no  knowing  what  goes  on  in  people's 
minds.  Well,  if  you  '11  believe  it,  from  that 
day  he  was  so  changed  we  did  n't  seem  to 
know  him.  He  turned  quite  religious,  and 
went  regular  to  chapel,  and  has  done  ever 
since ;  and  he  would  n't  touch  a  drop  of  any- 
thing, tempt  him  who  might.  It  was  a  case 
of  conversion,  if  ever  there  was  one." 

"So  there  remained  only  Eve  and  her 
brother?" 

•*  Yes.  He  was  a  steady  lad,  Tom  Made- 
ley,  and  never  gave  his  sister  much  trouble. 
He  earns  his  thirty  shillings  a  week  now. 
Well,  and  soon  after  she  saw  her  father  going 
on  all  right.  Eve  left  home.  I  don't  wonder 
at  it ;  it  was  n't  to  be  expected  she  could  for- 
give him  for  all  the  harm  and  sorrows  he  'd 
caused.     She  went  to  Birmingham  for  a  few 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  57 

months,  and  then  she  came  back  one  day  to 
tell  us  she  'd  got  a  place  in  London.  And  she 
brought  that  photo  to  give  us  to  remember 
her  by.     But,  as  I  said,  it  is  n't  good  enough." 

**  Does  she  seem  to  be  happier  now  ? " 

"She  has  n't  wrote  more  than  once  or  twice, 
but  she  "s  doing  well,  and  whatever  happens 
she  's  not  the  one  to  complain.  It 's  a  bless- 
ing she  's  always  had  her  health.  No  doubt 
she  's  made  friends  in  London,  but  we  have  n't 
heard  about  them.  Martha  was  hoping  she  'd 
have  come  for  Christmas,  but  it  seems  she 
could  n't  get  away  for  long  enough  from  busi- 
ness. I  'd  tell  you  her  address,  but  I  don't  re- 
member it.  I  've  never  been  in  London  myself. 
Martha  knows  it,  of  course.  She  might  look 
in  to-night,  and  if  she  does  I  '11  ask  her." 

Milliard  allowed  this  suggestion  to  pass 
without  remark.  He  was  not  quite  sure  that 
he  desired  to  know  Miss  Madeley's  address. 

But  later  in  the  evening,  when,  after  walk- 


5«  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

ing  for  two  or  three  hours  about  the  cold, 
dark  roads,  he  came  in  to  have  his  supper  and 
go  to  bed,  Mrs.  Brewer  smilingly  offered  him 
a  scrap  of  paper. 

"  There,"  she  said,  "that  *s  where  she  's  liv- 
ing. London  's  a  big  place,  and  you  may  n't 
be  anywhere  near,  but  if  you  happened  to 
walk  that  way,  we  should  take  it  kindly  if 
you  'd  just  leave  word  that  we  're  always  glad 
to  hear  from  her,  and  hope  she  's  well." 

With  a  mixture  of  reluctance  and  satisfac- 
tion the  young  man  took  the  paper,  glanced 
at  it,  and  folded  it  to  put  in  his  pocket.  Mrs. 
Brewer  was  regarding  him,  and  he  felt  that  his 
silence  must  seem  ungracious. 

"  I  will  certainly  call  and  leave  your  mes- 
sage," he  said. 

Up  in  his  bed-room  he  sat  for  a  long  time 
with  the  paper  lying  open  before  him.  And 
when  he  slept  his  rest  was  troubled  with 
dreams  of  an  anxious  search  about  the  high- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  59 

ways  and  byways  of  London  for  that  half-sad, 
half-smiling  face  which  had  so  wrought  upon 
his  imagination. 

Long  before  daylight  he  awoke  at  the  sound 
of  bells,  and  hootings,  and  whistlings,  which 
summoned  the  Dudley  workfolk  to  their  la- 
bour. For  the  first  time  in  his  life  he  heard 
these  hideous  noises  with  pleasure  :  they  told 
him  that  the  day  of  his  escape  had  come.  Un- 
able to  lie  still,  he  rose  at  once,  and  went  out 
into  the  chill  dawn.  Thoughts  of  Eve  Made- 
ley  no  longer  possessed  him  ;  a  glorious  sense 
of  freedom  excluded  every  recollection  of  his 
past  life,  and  he  wandered  aimlessly  with  a 
song  in  his  heart. 

At  breakfast,  the  sight  of  Mrs.  Brewer's  al- 
bum tempted  him  to  look  once  more  at  the 
portrait,  but  he  did  not  yield. 

"  Shall  we  ever  see  you  again,  I  wonder  ?  " 
asked  his  landlady,  when  the  moment  arrived 
for  leave-taking. 


6o  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  If  I  am  ever  again  in  Dudley,  I  shall  come 
here,"  he  answered  kindly. 

But  on  his  way  to  the  station  he  felt  a  joy- 
ful assurance  that  fate  would  have  no  power 
to  draw  him  back  again  into  this  circle  of  fiery 
torments. 


CHAPTER  V. 

TWO  months  later,  on  a  brilliant  morn- 
ing of  May,  Milliard  again  awoke  from 
troubled  dreams,  but  the  sounds  about  him 
had  no  association  with  bygone  miseries. 
From  the  courtyard  upon  which  his  window 
looked  there  came  a  ringing  of  gay  laughter 
followed  by  shrill,  merry  gossip  in  a  foreign 
tongue.  Somewhere  in  the  neighbourhood 
a  church  bell  was  pealing.  Presently  foot- 
steps hurried  along  the  corridor,  and  an  im- 
patient voice  shouted  repeatedly,  "  Alphonse  ! 
Alphonse ! "      ' 

He  was  in  Paris ;  had  been  there  for  six 
weeks,  and  now  awoke  with  a  sense  of  lone- 
liness, a  desire  to  be  back  among  his  own 
people. 

6i 


63  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

In  London  he  had  spent  only  a  fortnight. 
It  was  not  a  time  that  he  cared  to  reflect  upon. 
No  sooner  had  he  found  himself  in  the  me- 
tropolis, alone  and  free,  with  a  pocketful  of 
money,  than  a  delirium  possessed  him.  Every 
resolution  notwithstanding,  he  yielded  to  Lon- 
don's grossest  lures.  AH  he  could  remember, 
was  a  succession  of  extravagances,  beneath  a 
sunless  sky,  with  chance  companions  whose 
faces  he  had  forgotten  five  minutes  after  part- 
ing with  them.  Sovereign  after  sovereign 
melted  out  of  his  hand  ;  the  end  of  the  second 
week  found  his  capital  diminished  by  some 
five-and-twenty  pounds.  In  an  hour  of  physi- 
cal and  moral  nausea,  he  packed  his  travelling- 
bag,  journeyed  to  Newhaven,  and  as  a  sort  of 
penance,  crossed  the  Channel  by  third-class 
passage.  Arrived  in  Paris,  he  felt  himself  se- 
cure, and  soon  recovered  sanity. 

Thanks  to  his  studious  habits,  he  was 
equipped  with    book-French  ;    now,  both    for 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  63 

economy's  sake  and  for  his  mental  advantage, 
he  struggled  with  the  spoken  language,  and  so 
fan  succeeded  as  to  lodge  very  cheaply  in  a 
rather  disreputable  hotel,  and  to  eat  at  restau- 
rants where  dinner  of  several  courses  cost  two 
francs  and  a  half.  His  life  was  irreproachable ; 
he  studied  the  Paris  of  art  and  history.  But 
perforce  he  remained  companionless,  and  soli- 
tude had  begun  to  weigh  upon  him. 

This  morning,  whilst  he  sat  over  his  bowl 
of  coffee  and  petit  pain,  a  certain  recollection 
haunted  him  persistently.  Yesterday,  in  turn- 
ing out  his  pockets,  he  had  come  upon  a  scrap 
of  paper,  whereon  was  written  : 

"  93,  Belmont  Street,  Chalk  Farm  Road, 
London,  N.W." 

This  formula  it  was  which  now  kept  running 
through  his  mind,  like  a  refrain  which  will  not 
be  dismissed. 

He  reproached  himself  for  neglect  of  his 
promise  to  Mrs.  Brewer.     More  than  that,  he 


64  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

charged  himself  with  foolish  disregard  of  a 
possibility  which  might  have  boundless  signifi- 
cance for  him.  Here,  it  seemed,  was  sufificient 
motive  for  a  return  to  London.  The  alterna- 
tive was  to  wander  on,  and  see  more  of  foreign 
countries ;  a  tempting  suggestion,  but  marred 
by  the  prospect  of  loneliness.  He  would  go 
back  among  his  own  people  and  make  friends. 
Without  comradeship,  liberty  had  little  savour. 
Still  travelling  with  as  small  expense  as 
might  be,  he  reached  London  in  the  forenoon, 
left  his  luggage  at  Victoria  Station,  and,  after 
a  meal,  betook  himself  in  the  northerly  direc- 
tion. It  was  a  rainy  and  imcomfortable  day, 
but  this  did  not  much  affect  his  spirits  ;  he  felt 
like  a  man  new  risen  from  illness,  seemed  to 
have  cast  off  something  that  had  threatened 
his  very  existence,  and  marvelled  at  the  state 
of  mind  in  which  it  had  been  possible  for  him 
to  inhabit  London  without  turning  his  steps 
towards  the  address  of  Eve  Madeley. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  $5 

He  discovered  Belmont  Street.  It  consisted 
of  humble  houses,  and  was  dreary  enough  to 
look  upon.  As  he  sought  for  No.  93,  a  sudden 
nervousness  attacked  him  ;  he  became  con- 
scious all  at  once  of  the  strangeness  of  his 
position.  At  this  hour  it  was  unlikely  that 
Eve  would  be  at  home  ;  an  inquiry  at  the 
house  and  the  leaving  of  a  verbal  message 
would  discharge  his  obligation  ;  but  he  pro- 
posed more  than  that.  It  was  his  resolve  to 
see  Eve  herself,  to  behold  the  face  which,  in  a 
picture,  had  grown  so  familiar  to  him.  Yet 
till  this  moment  he  had  overlooked  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  enterprise.  Could  he,  on  the 
strength  of  an  acquaintance  with  Mrs.  Brewer, 
claim  the  friendly  regards  of  this  girl  who  had 
never  heard  his  name  ?  If  he  saw  her  once, 
on  what  pretext  could  he  seek  for  a  second 
meeting  ? 

Possibly  he  would  not  desire  it.  Eve  in  her 
own  person  might  disenchant  him. 


66  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Meanwhile  he  had  discovered  the  house, 
and  without  further  debate  he  knocked.  The 
door  was  opened  by  a  woman  of  ordinary  type, 
slatternly,  and  with  suspicious  eye. 

"  Miss  Madeley  did  live  here,"  she  said, 
"  but  she 's  been  gone  a  month  or  more." 

"  Can  you  tell  me  where  she  is  living 
now  ?" 

A-fter  a  searching  look  the  woman  replied 
that  she  could  not.  In  the  manner  of  her  kind, 
she  was  anxious  to  dismiss  the  inquirer  and  get 
the  door  shut.  Gravely  disappointed,  Milliard 
felt  unable  to  turn  away  without  a  further 
question. 

"  Perhaps  you  know  where  she  is,  or  was, 
employed  ?  " 

But  no  information  whatever  was  forthcom- 
ing. It  very  rarely  is  under  such  circum- 
stances, for  a  London  landlady,  compounded 
in  general  of  craft  and  caution,  tends  naturally 
to  reticence  on  the  score  of  her  former  lodger& 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  67 

If  she  has  parted  with  them  on  amicable  terms, 
her  instinct  is  to  shield  them  against  the  men- 
ace presumed  in  every  inquiry ;  if  her  mood  is 
one  of  ill-will,  she  refuses  information  lest  the 
departed  should  reap  advantage.  And  then,  in 
the  great  majority  of  cases  she  has  really  no 
information  to  give. 

The  door  closed  with  that  severity  of  ex- 
clusion in  which  London  doors  excel,  and 
Hilliard  turned  despondently  away.  He  was 
just  consoling  himself  with  the  thought  that 
Eve  would  probably,  before  long,  communicate 
her  new  address  to  the  friends  at  Dudley,  and 
by  that  means  he  might  hear  of  it,  when  a 
dirty-faced  little  girl,  who  had  stood  within  ear- 
shot while  he  was  talking,  and  who  had  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  end  of  the  street,  approached 
him  with  an  abrupt  inquiry. 

"Was  you  asking  for  Miss  Madeley,  Sir?" 
"  Yes,    I   was  ;  do  you   know   anything  of 
her?" 


68  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  My  mother  did  washing  for  her,  and  when 
she  moved  I  had  to  take  some  things  of  hers 
to  the  new  address." 

**  Then  you  remember  it  ?  " 

"  It  's  a  goodish  way  from  'ere,  Sir.  Shall 
I  go  with  you  ?  " 

Milliard  understood.  Like  the  good  Samari- 
tan of  old,  he  took  out  twopence.  The  face 
of  the  dirty  little  girl  brightened  wonderfully. 

'*  Tell  me  the  address  ;  that  will  be  enough." 

"  Do  you  know  Gower  Place,  Sir?" 

"  Somewhere    near   Gower    Street,    I    sup- 

His  supposition  was  confirmed,  and  he  learnt 
the  number  of  the  house  to  which  Miss  Madeley 
had  transferred  herself.  In  that  direction  he 
at  once  bent  his  steps. 

Gower  Place  is  in  the  close  neighbourhood 
of  Euston  Road ;  Hilliard  remembered  that 
he  had  passed  the.  end  of  it  on  his  first  arrival 
in   London,  when   he  set  forth  from   Euston 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  69 

Station  to  look  for  a  lodging.  It  was  a  mere 
chance  that  he  had  not  turned  into  this  very 
street,  instead  of  going  further.  Several  win- 
dows displayed  lodging-cards.  On  the  whole, 
it  looked  a  better  locality  than  Belmont  Street. 
Eve's  removal  hither  might  signify  an  improve- 
ment of  circumstances. 

The  house  which  he  sought  had  a  clean 
doorstep  and  unusually  bright  windows.  His 
knock  was  answered  quickly,  and  by  a  young, 
sprightly  woman,  who  smiled  upon  him. 

"  I  believe  Miss  Madeley  lives  here  ?" 

"  Yes,  she  does." 

"  She  is  not  at  home  just  now  ?  " 

"  No.  She  went  out  after  breakfast,  and 
I  'm  sure  I  can't  say  when  she  '11  be  back." 

Milliard  felt  a  slight  wonder  at  this  uncer- 
tainty. The  young  woman,  observing  his  ex- 
pression, added  with  vivacious  friendliness  : 

"  Do  you  want  to  see  her  on  business  ?  " 

"  No  ;  a  private  matter." 


70  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

This  occasioned  a  smirk. 

"  Well,  she  has  n't  any  regular  hours  at 
present.  Sometimes  she  comes  to  dinner, 
sometimes  she  does  n't.  Sometimes  she  comes 
to  tea,  but  just  as  often  she  is  n't  'ome  till  late. 
P'r'aps  you  *d  like  to  leave  your  name  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  '11  call  again." 

"  Did  you  expect  to  find  her  at  'ome  now.?  " 
asked  the  young  woman,  whose  curiosity  grew 
more  eager  as  she  watched  Milliard's  coun- 
tenance. 

"  Perhaps,"  he  replied,  neglecting  the  ques- 
tion, "  I  should  find  her  here  to-morrow 
morning?" 

"  Well,  I  can  say  as  someone 's  going  to  call, 
you  know." 

"  Please  do  so." 

Therewith  he  turned  away,  anxious  to  escape 
a  volley  of  interrogation  for  which  the  land- 
lady's tongue  was  primed. 

He  walked  into  Gower  Street,  and  pondered 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  71 

the  awkward  interview  that  now  lay  before 
"him.  On  his  calling  to-morrow,  Miss  Madeley 
would  doubtless  come  to  speak  with  him  at  the 
door  ;  even  supposing  she  had  a  parlour  at  her 
disposal,  she  was  not  likely  to  invite  a  perfect 
stranger  into  the  house.  How  could  he  make 
her  acquaintance  on  the  doorstep  ?  To  be 
sure,  he  brought  a  message,  but  this  com- 
mission had  been  so  long  delayed  that  he  felt 
some  shame  about  discharging  it.  In  any  case, 
his  delivery  of  the  message  would  sound  odd  ; 
there  would  be  embarrassment  on  both  sides. 

Why  was  Eve  so  uncertain  in  her  comings  and 
goings  ?  Necessity  of  business,  perhaps.  Yet 
he  had  expected  quite  the  opposite  state  of 
things.  From  Mrs.  Brewer's  description  of  the 
girl's  character,  he  had  imagined  her  leading  a 
life  of  clockwork  regularity.  The  point  was 
very  trivial,  but  it  somehow  caused  a  disturb- 
ance of  his  thoughts,  which  tended  to  mis- 
giving. 


72  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

In  the  meantime  he  had  to  find  quarters  for 
himself.     Why  not  seek  them  in  Gower  Place  ? 

After  ten  minutes'  sauntering,  he  retraced 
his  steps,  and  walked  down  the  side  of  the 
street  opposite  to  that  on  which  Eve's  lodgings 
were  situated.  Nearly  over  against  that  par- 
ticular house  was  a  window  with  a  card.  Care- 
lessly he  approached  the  door,  and  carelessly 
asked  to  see  the  rooms  that  were  to  let.  They 
were  comfortless,  but  would  suit  his  purpose 
for  a  time.  He  engaged  a  sitting-room  on  the 
ground-floor,  and  a  bed-room  above,  and  went 
to  fetch  his  luggage  from  Victoria  Station. 

On  the  steamer  last  night  he  had  not  slept, 
and  now  that  he  was  once  more  housed,  an 
overpowering  fatigue  constrained  him  to  lie 
down  and  close  his  eyes.  Almost  immediately 
he  fell  into  oblivion,  and  lay  sleeping  on  the 
cranky  sofa,  until  the  entrance  of  a  girl  with 
tea-things  awakened  him. 

From  his  parlour  window  he  could  very  well 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  73 

observe  the  houses  opposite  without  fear 
of  drawing  attention  from  anyone  on  that  side  ; 
and  so  it  happened  that,  without  deHberate 
purpose  of  espial,  he  watched  the  door  of  Eve 
Madeley's  residence  for  a  long  time ;  till,  in 
fact,  he  grew  weary  of  the  occupation.  No 
one  had  entered  ;  no  one  had  come  forth.  At 
half-past  seven  he  took  his  hat  and  left  the 
house. 

Scarcely  had  he  closed  the  door  behind  him 
when  he  became  aware  that  a  lightly  tripping 
and  rather  showily  dressed  girl,  who  was  com- 
ing down  the  other  side  of  the  way,  had  turned 
off  the  pavement  and  was  plying  the  knocker 
at  the  house  which  interested  him.  He  gazed 
eagerly.  Impossible  that  a  young  person  of 
that  garb  and  deportment  should  be  Eve 
Madeley.  Her  face  was  hidden  from  him,  and 
at  this  distance  he  could  not  have  recoornised 
the  features,  even  presuming  that  his  famili- 
arity with  the  portrait,  taken  more  than  two 


74  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

years  ago,  would  enable  him  to  identify  Eve 
when  he  saw  her.  The  door  opened  ;  the  girl 
was  admitted.  Afraid  of  being  noticed,  he 
walked  on. 

The  distance  to  the  head  of  the  street  was  not 
more  than  thirty  yards  ;  there  lay  Gower  Street, 
on  the  right  hand  the  Metropolitan  station,  to 
the  left  a  long  perspective  southwards.  De- 
laying in  doubt  as  to  his  course.  Milliard 
glanced  back.  From  the  house  which  at- 
tracted his  eyes  he  saw  come  forth  the  girl 
w^ho  had  recently  entered,  and  close  following 
her  another  young  woman.  They  began  to 
walk  sharply  towards  where  he  stood. 

He  did  not  stir,  and  the  couple  drew  so  near 
that  he  could  observe  their  faces.  In  the 
second  girl  he  recognised — or  believed  that 
he  recognised — Eve  Madeley. 

She  wore  a  costume  in  decidedly  better 
taste  than  her  companion's  ;  for  all  that,  her 
appearance  struck  him  as  quite  unlike  that  he 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  75 

would  have  expected  Eve  Madeley  to  present. 
He  had  thought  of  her  as  very  plainly,  per- 
haps poorly,  clad  ;  but  this  attire  was  ornate, 
and  looked  rather  expensive ;  it  might  be  in 
the  mode  of  the  new  season.  In  figure,  she 
was  altogether  a  more  imposing  young  woman 
than  he  had  pictured  to  himself.  His  pulses 
were  sensibly  quickened  as  he  looked  at  her.  i 

The  examination  was  of  necessity  hurried. 
Walking  at  a  sharp  pace,  they  rapidly  came 
close  to  where  he  stood.  He  drew  aside  to 
let  them  pass,  and  at  that  moment  caught  a 
few  words  of  their  conversation. 

"  I  told  you  we  should  be  late,"  exclaimed 
the  unknown  girl,  in  friendly  remonstrance. 

"  What  does  it  matter  ? "  replied  Eve — if 
Eve  it  were.  "  I  hate  standing  at  the  doors. 
We  shall  find  seats  somewhere." 

Her  gay,  careless  tones  astonished  the  lis- 
tener. Involuntarily  he  began  to  follow  ;  but 
at  the  edge  of  the  pavement  in  Gower  Street 


76  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

they  stopped,  and  by  advancing  another  step 
or  two  he  distinctly  overheard  the  continua- 
tion of  their  talk. 

"  The  'bus  will  take  a  long  time." 

"  Bother  the  'bus  ! "  This  was  Eve  Madeley 
again — if  Eve  it  could  really  be.  "  We'll  have 
a  cab.  Look,  there  's  a  crawler  in  Euston 
Road.     I  *ve  stopped  him  ! " 

"  I  say.  Eve,  you  are  going  it !  " 

This  exclamation  from  the  other  girl  was  the 
last  sentence  that  fell  on  Milliard's  ear.  They 
both  tripped  off  towards  the  cab  which  Eve's 
gesture  had  summoned.  He  saw  them  jump 
in  and  drive  away. 

"  I  say,  Eve,  you  are  going  it  ! "  Why, 
there  his  doubt  was  settled  ;  the  name  con- 
firmed him  in  his  identification.  But  he  stood 
motionless  with  astonishment. 

They  were  going  to  a  theatre,  of  course. 
And  Eve  spoke  as  if  money  were  of  no  conse- 
quence to  her.     She  had  the  look,  the  tones, 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  77 

of  one  bent  on  enjoying  herself,  of  one  whcs 
habitually  pursued  pleasure,  and  that  in  its 
most  urban  forms. 

Her  companion  had  a  voice  of  thinnej 
quality,  of  higher  note,  which  proclaimed  a 
subordinate  character.  It  sounded,  moreover, 
with  the  London  accent,  while  Eve's  struck  a 
more  familiar  note  to  the  man  of  the  Midlands. 
Eve  seemed  to  be  the  elder  of  the  two  ;  it 
could  not  be  thought  for  a  moment  that  her 
will  was  guided  by  that  of  the  more  trivial  girl. 

Eve  Madeley — the  meek,  the  melancholy, 
the  long-suffering,  the  pious — what  did  it  all 
mean  ? 

Utterly  bewildered,  the  young  man  walked 
on  without  thought  of  direction,  and  rambled 
dreamily  about  the  streets  for  an  hour  or  two. 
He  could  not  make  up  his  mind  whether  or 
not  to  fulfil  the  promise  of  calling  to  see  Miss 
Madeley  to-morrow  morning.  At  one  moment 
he  regretted  having  taken  lodgings  in  Gower 


78  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Place  ;  at  another  he  determined  to  make  use 
of  his  advantage,  and  play  the  spy  upon  Eve's 
movements  without  scruple.  The  interest  she 
had  hitherto  excited  in  him  was  faint  indeed 
compared  with  emotions  such  as  this  first 
glimpse  of  her  had  kindled  and  fanned.  A 
sense  of  peril  warned  him  to  hold  aloof; 
tumult  of  his  senses  rendered  the  warning 
useless. 

At  eleven  o'clock  he  was  sitting  by  his  bed- 
room window,  in  darkness,  watching  the  house 
across  the  way. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

IT  was  just  upon  midnight  when  Eve  re- 
turned. She  came  at  a  quick  walk,  and 
alone  ;  the  light  of  the  street-lamps  showed 
•  her  figure  distinctly  enough  to  leave  the 
watcher  in  no  doubt.  A  latchkey  admitted 
her  to  the  house.  Presently  there  appeared  a 
light  at  an  upper  window,  and  a  shadow  kept 
moving  across  the  blind.  When  the  light  was 
extinguished  Hilliard  went  to  bed,  but  that 
night  he  slept  little. 

The  next  morning  passed  in  restless  debate 
with  himself.  He  did  not  cross  the  way  to 
call  upon  Eve  :  the  thought  of  speaking  with 
her  on  the  doorstep  of  a  lodging-house  proved 
intolerable.     All  day  long  he  kept  his  post  of 

observation.     Other  persons  he  saw  leave  and 
6  79 


8o  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

enter  the  house,  but  Miss  Madeley  did  not 
come  forth.  That  he  could  have  missed  her 
seemed  impossible,  for  even  while  eating  his 
meals  he  remained  by  the  window.  Perchance 
she  had  left  home  very  early  in  the  morning, 
but  it  was  unlikely. 

Through  the  afternoon  it  rained  :  the 
gloomy  sky  intensified  his  fatigue  and  de- 
spondence. About  six  o'clock,  exhausted  in* 
mind  and  body,  he  had  allowed  his  attention 
to  stray,  when  the  sudden  clang  of  a  street 
organ  startled  him.  His  eyes  turned  in  the 
wonted  direction — and  instantly  he  sprang  up. 
To  clutch  his  hat,  to  rush  from  the  room  and 
from  the  house,  occupied  but  a  moment. 
There,  walking  away  on  the  other  side,  was 
Eve.  Her  fawn-coloured  mantle,  her  hat  with 
the  yellow  flowers,  were  the  same  as  yesterday. 
The  rain  had  ceased ;  in  the  western  sky  ap- 
peared promise  of  a  fair  evening. 

Hilliard  pursued  her  in  a  parallel  line.     At 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  Si 

the  top  of  the  street  she  crossed  towards  him  ; 
he  let  her  pass  by  and  followed  closely.  She 
entered  the  booking-office  of  Gower  Street 
station  ;  he  drew  as  near  as  possible  and  heard 
her  ask  for  a  ticket — 

"  Healtheries  ;  third  return." 

The  slang  term  for  the  Health  Exhibition  at 
Kensington  was  familiar  to  him  from  the  Eng- 
lish papers  he  had  seen  in  Paris.  As  soon  as 
Eve  had  passed  on  he  obtained  a  like  ticket 
and  hastened  down  the  steps  in  pursuit.  A 
minute  or  two  and  he  was  sitting  face  to  face 
with  her  in  the  railway  carriage. 

He  could  now  observe  her  at  his  leisure  and 
compare  her  features  with  those  represented 
in  the  photograph.  Mrs.  Brewer  had  said 
truly  that  the  portrait  did  not  do  her  justice  ; 
he  saw  the  resemblance,  yet  what  a  difference 
between  the  face  he  had  brooded  over  at  Dud- 
ley and  that  which  lived  before  him  !  A  dif- 
ference not  to  be  accounted  for  by  mere  lapse 


82  EVE'S  HANSOM. 

of  time.  She  could  not,  he  thought,  have 
changed  greatly  in  the  last  two  or  three  years, 
for  her  age  at  the  time  of  sitting  for  the  photo- 
graph must  have  been  at  least  one-and-twenty. 
She  did  not  look  older  than  he  had  expected : 
it  was  still  a  young  face,  but — and  herein  he 
found  its  strangeness — that  of  a  woman  who 
views  life  without  embarrassment,  without  anxi- 
ety. She  sat  at  her  ease,  casting  careless 
glances  this  way  and  that.  When  her  eyes 
fell  upon  him  he  winced,  yet  she  paid  no  more 
heed  to  him  than  to  the  other  passengers. 

Presently  she  became  lost  in  thought ;  her 
eyes  fell.  Ah  !  now  the  resemblance  to  the 
portrait  came  out  more  distinctly.  Her  lips 
shaped  themselves  to  that  expression  which  he 
knew  so  well,  the  half-smile  telling  of  habitual 
sadness. 

His  fixed  gaze  recalled  her  to  herself,  and 
immediately  the  countenance  changed  beyond 
recognition.       Her   eyes  wandered   past   him 


■EVE'S  RANSOM.  83 

with  a  look  of  cold  if  not  defiant  reserve  ;  the 
lips  lost  all  their  sweetness.  He  was  chilled 
with  vague  distrust,  and  once  again  asked  him- 
self whether  this  could  be  the  Eve  Madeley 
whose  history  he  had  heard. 

Again  she  fell  into  abstraction,  and  some 
trouble  seemed  to  grow  upon  her  mind.  It 
was  difficult  now  to  identify  her  with  the  girl 
who  had  talked  and  laughed  so  gaily  last  even- 
ing. Towards  the  end  of  the  journey  a  nerv- 
ous restlessness  began  to  appear  in  her  looks 
and  movements.  Hilliard  felt  that  he  had 
annoyed  her  by  the  persistency  of  his  observa- 
tion, and  tried  to  keep  his  eyes  averted.  But 
no  ;  the  disturbance  she  betrayed  was  due  to 
some  other  cause  ;  probably  she  paid  not  the 
least  regard  to  him. 

At  Earl's  Court  she  alighted  hurriedly.  By 
this  time  Hilliard  had  begun  to  feel  shame  In 
the  ignoble  part  he  was  playing,  but  choice  he 
had   none — the  girl   drew  him   irresistibly  to 


84  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

follow  and  watch  her.  Among  the  crowd  en- 
tering the  Exhibition  he  could  easily  keep  her 
in  sight  without  risk  of  his  espial  being  detected. 
That  Eve  had  come  to  keep  an  appointment 
with  some  acquaintance  he  felt  sure,  and  at  any 
cost  he  must  discover  who  the  person  was. 

The  event  justified  him  with  unexpected 
suddenness.  No  sooner  had  she  passed  the 
turnstile  than  a  man  stepped  forward,  saluting 
her  in  form.  Eve  shook  hands  with  him,  and 
they  walked  on. 

Uncontrollable  wrath  seized  on  Hilliard  and 
shook  him  from  head  to  foot.  A  meeting  of 
this  kind  was  precisely  what  he  had  foreseen, 
and  he  resented  it  violently. 

Eve's  acquaintance  had  the  external  attrib- 
utes of  a  gentleman.  One  could  not  easily  imag- 
ine him  a  clerk  or  a  shop-assistant  smartened 
up  for  the  occasion.  H  e  was  plain  of  feature,  but 
wore  a  pleasant,  honest  look,  and  his  demean- 
our to  the  girl  showed  not  only  good  breeding 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  «5 

but  unmistakable  interest  of  the  warmest  kind. 
His  age  might  perhaps  be  thirty;  he  was 
dressed  well,  and  in  all  respects  conventionally. 

In  Eve's  behaviour  there  appeared  a  very 
noticeable  reserve  ;  she  rarely  turned  her  face 
to  him  while  he  spoke,  and  seemed  to  make 
only  the  briefest  remarks.  Her  attention  was 
given  to  the  objects  they  passed. 

Totally  unconscious  of  the  scenes  through 
which  he  was  moving,  Hilliard  tracked  the 
couple  for  more  than  an  hour.  He  noticed 
that  the  man  once  took  out  his  watch,  and  from 
this  trifling  incident  he  sought  to  derive  a 
hope  ;  perhaps  Eve  would  be  quit  ere  long  of 
the  detested  companionship.  They  came  at 
length  to  where  a  band  was  playing,  and  sat 
down  on  chairs ;  the  pursuer  succeeded  in 
obtaining  a  seat  behind  them,  but  the  clamour 
of  instruments  overpowered  their  voices,  or 
rather  the  man's  voice,  for  Eve  seemed  not  to 
speak  at  all.     One  moment,  when  her  neigh- 


86  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

hour's  head  approached  nearer  than  usual  to 
hers,  she  drew  sHghtly  away. 

The  music  ceased,  whereupon  Eve's  com- 
panion again  consulted  his  watch. 

"  It's  a  most  unfortunate  thing."  He  was 
audible  now.     "  I  can't  possibly  stay  longer." 

Eve  moved  on  her  chair,  as  if  in  readiness 
to  take  leave  of  him,  but  she  did  not  speak. 

"You  think  it  likely  you  will  meet  Miss 
Ringrose?" 

Eve  answered,  but  the  listener  could  not 
catch  her  words. 

"  I  'm  so  very  sorry.  If  there  had  been 
any " 

The  voice  sank,  and  Milliard  could  only 
gather  from  observance  of  the  man's  face  that 
he  was  excusing  himself  in  fervent  tones  for  the 
necessity  of  departure.  Then  they  both  rose 
and  walked  a  few  yards  together.  Finally, 
with  a  sense  of  angry  exultation,  Milliard  saw 
them  part. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  87 

For  a  little  while  Eve  stood  watching  the 
musicians,  who  were  making  ready  to  play  a 
new  piece.  As  soon  as  the  first  note  sounded 
she  moved  slowly,  her  eyes  cast  down.  With 
fiercely  throbbing  heart,  thinking  and  desiring 
and  hoping  he  knew  not  what.  Milliard  once 
more  followed  her.  Night  had  now  fallen  ; 
the  grounds  of  the  Exhibition  shone  with 
many-coloured  illumination  ;  the  throng  grew 
dense.  It  was  both  easy  and  necessary  to 
keep  very  near  to  the  object  of  his  interest. 

There  sounded  a  clinking  of  plates,  cups, 
and  glasses.  People  were  sitting  at  tables  in 
the  open  air,  supplied  with  refreshments  by 
the  waiters  who  hurried  hither  and  thither. 
Eve,  after  a  show  of  hesitation,  took  a  seat  by 
a  little  round  table  which  stood  apart ;  her 
pursuer  found  a  place  whence  he  could  keep 
watch.  She  gave  an  order,  and  presently  there 
was  brought  to  her  a  glass  of  wine  with  a 
sandwich. 


88  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Hilliard  called  for  a  bottle  of  ale  :  he  was 
consumed  with  thirst. 

"  Dare  I  approach  her  ?"  he  asked  himself. 
"  Is   it  possible  ?     And,  if  possible,   is  it  any 

The  difficulty  was  to  explain  his  recognition 
of  her.  But  for  that,  he  might  justify  himself 
in  addressing  her. 

She  had  finished  her  wine  and  was  looking 
round.  Her  glance  fell  upon  him,  and  for  a 
moment  rested.  With  a  courage  not  his  own, 
Hilliard  rose,  advanced,  and  respectfully  doffed 
his  hat. 

"  Miss  Madeley " 

The  note  was  half  interrogative,  but  his  voice 
failed  before  he  could  add  another  syllable. 
Eve  drew  herself  up,  rigid  in  the  alarm  of 
female  instinct. 

"  I  am  a  stranger  to  you,"  Hilliard  managed 
to  say.  "  But  I  come  from  Dudley  ;  I  know 
some  of  your  friends " 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  89 

His  hurried  words  fell  into  coherence.  At 
the  name  "Dudley"  Eve's  features  relaxed. 

"  Was  it  you  who  called  at  my  lodgings  the 
day  before  yesterday  ?  " 

"  I  did.  Your  address  was  given  me  by 
Mrs.  Brewer,  in  whose  house  I  have  lived  for 
a  long  time.  She  wished  me  to  call  and  to 
give  you  a  kind  message — to  say  how  glad 
they  would  be  to  hear  from  you " 

"  But  you  didnt  leave  the  message." 

The  smile  put  Milliard  at  his  ease,  it  was  so 
gentle  and  friendly. 

"  I  was  n't  able  to  come  at  the  time  I  men- 
tioned.    I  should  have  called  to-morrow." 

"  But  how  is  it  that  you  knew  me  ?  I  think," 
she  added,  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  "  that 
I  have  seen  you  somewhere.  But  I  can't  re- 
member where." 

"  Perhaps  in  the  train  this  evening  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  so  it  was.     You  knew  me  then  ?" 

**  I  thought  I  did,  for  I  happened  to  come 


90  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

out  from  my  lodgings  at  the  moment  you  were 
leaving  yours,  just  opposite,  and  we  walked 
almost  together  to  Gower  Street  station.  I 
must  explain  that  I  have  taken  rooms  in  Gower 
Place.  I  didn't  like  to  speak  to  you  in  the 
street ;  but  now  that  I  have  again  chanced  to 
see  you " 

"  I  still  don't  understand,"  said  Eve,  who 
was  speaking  with  the  most  perfect  ease  of 
manner.  "  I  am  not  the  only  person  living  in 
that  house.  Why  should  you  take  it  for 
granted  that  I  was  Miss  Madeley?" 

Milliard  had  not  ventured  to  seat  himself ; 
he  stood  before  her,  head  respectfully  bent. 

"  At  Mrs.  Brewer's  I  saw  your  portrait." 

Her  eyes  fell. 

**  My  portrait.  You  really  could  recognise 
me  from  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  readily !  Will  you  allow  me  to  sit 
down?" 

"  Of   course.     I   shall  be  glad  to  hear  the 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  91 

news  you  have  brought.  I  could  n't  imagine 
who  it  was  had  called  and  wanted  to  see  me. 
But  there 's  another  thing.  I  did  n't  think 
Mrs.  Brewer  knew  my  address.  I  have  moved 
since  I  wrote  to  her  daughter." 

"  No  ;  it  was  the  old  address  she  gave  me. 
I  ought  to  have  mentioned  that :  it  escaped 
my  mind.  First  of  all  I  went  to  Belmont 
Street." 

"  Mysteries  still ! "  exclaimed  Eve.  "  The 
people  there  could  n't  know  where  I  had  gone 
to." 

"  A  child  who  had  carried  some  parcel  for 
you  to  Gower  Place  volunteered  information." 

Outwardly  amused,  and  bearing  herself  as 
though  no  incident  could  easily  disconcert  her, 
Eve  did  not  succeed  in  suppressing  every  sign 
of  nervousness.  Constrained  by  his  wonder 
to  study  her  with  critical  attention,  the  young 
man  began  to  feel  assured  that  she  was  con- 
sciously acting  a  part.     That  she  should  be 


92  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

able  to  carry  it  off  so  well,  therein  lay  the 
marvel.  Of  course,  London  had  done  much 
for  her.  Possessing  no  common  gifts,  she  must 
have  developed  remarkably  under  changed  con- 
ditions, and  might,  indeed,  have  become  a  very 
different  person  from  the  country  girl  who 
toiled  to  support  her  drunken  father's  family. 
Hilliard  remembered  the  mention  of  her  sister 
who  had  gone  to  Birmingham  and  disappeared  ; 
it  suggested  a  characteristic  of  the  Madeley 
blood,  which  possibly  must  be  borne  in  mind 
if  he  would  interpret  Eve. 

She  rested  her  arms  on  the  little  round  table. 

"  So  Mrs.  Brewer  asked  you  to  come  and  find 
me?" 

"It  was  only  a  suggestion,  and  I  may  as 
well  tell  you  how  it  came  about.  I  used  to 
have  my  meals  in  Mrs.  Brewer's  parlour,  and  to 
amuse  myself  I  looked  over  her  album.  There 
I  found  your  portrait,  and — well,  it  interested 
me,  and  I  asked  the  name  of  the  original." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  93 

Hilliard  was  now  in  command  of  himself  ;  he 
spoke  with  simple  directness,  as  his  desires 
dictated. 

"  And  Mrs.  Brewer,"  said  Eve,  with  averted 
eyes,  "  told  you  about  me  ?  " 

"  She  spoke  of  you  as  her  daughter's  friend," 
was  the  evasive  answer.  Eve  seemed  to  ac- 
cept it  as  sufficient,  and  there  was  a  long  silence. 

"  My  name  is  Hilliard,"  the  young  man 
resumed.  "  I  am  taking  the  first  holiday, 
worth  speaking  of,  that  I  have  known  for  a 
good  many  years.  At  Dudley  my  business 
was  to  make  mechanical  drawings,  and  I  can't 
say  that  I  enjoyed  the  occupation." 

"  Are  you  going  back  to  it  ?  " 

"  Not  just  yet.  I  have  been  in  France,  and 
I  may  go  abroad  again  before  long." 

"  For  your  pleasure  ? "  Eve  asked,  with  inter- 
est. 

"  To  answer  '  Yes '  would  n't  quite  express 
what  I  mean.     I  am  learning  to  live." 


94  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

She  hastily  searched  his  face  for  the  inter- 
pretation of  these  words,  then  looked  away, 
with  grave,  thoughtful  countenance. 

"  By  good  fortune,"  Milliard  pursued.  "I 
have  become  possessed  of  money  enough  to 
live  upon  for  a  year  or  two.  At  the  end  of  it 
I  may  find  myself  in  the  old  position,  and  have 
to  be  a  living  machine  once  more.  But  I 
shall  be  able  to  remember  that  I  was  once  a 
man." 

Eve  regarded  him  strangely,  with  wide,  in- 
tent eyes,  as  though  his  speech  had  made  a 
peculiar  impression  upon  her. 

"  Can  you  see  any  sense  in  that  ?  "  he  asked, 
smiling. 

"  Yes.     I  think  I  understand  you." 

She  spoke  slowly,  and  Milliard,  watching  her, 
saw  in  her  face  more  of  the  expression  of  her 
portrait  than  he  had  yet  discovered.  Mer  soft 
tone  was  much  more  like  what  he  had  expected 
to  hear  than  her  utterances  hitherto. 


,    EVE'S  RANSOM.  95 

"Have  you  always  lived  at  Dudley?"  she 
asked. 

He  sketched  rapidly  the  course  of  his  life, 
without  reference  to  domestic  circumstances. 
Before  he  had  ceased  speaking  he  saw  that 
Eve's  look  was  directed  towards  something  at 
a  distance  behind  him ;  she  smiled,  and  at 
length  nodded,  in  recognition  of  some  person 
who  approached.  Then  a  voice  caused  him  to 
look  round. 

"  Oh,  there  you  are  !  I  have  been  hunting 
for  you  ever  so  long." 

As  soon  as  Hilliard  saw  the  speaker,  he  had 
no  difficulty  in  remembering  her.  It  was  Eve's 
companion  of  the  day  before  yesterday,  with 
whom  she  had  started  for  the  theatre.  The 
girl  evidently  felt  some  surprise  at  discovering 
her  friend  in  conversation  with  a  man  she  did 
not  know ;  but  Eve  was  equal  to  the  situation, 
and  spoke  calmly. 

"  This  gentleman  is  from   my  part  of  the 


96  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

world — from  Dudley.  Mr.  Hilliard — Miss 
Ringrose." 

Hilliard  stood  up.  Miss  Ringrose,  after  at- 
tempting a  bow  of  formal  dignity,  jerked  out 
her  hand,  gave  a  shy  little  laugh,  and  said  with 
amusing  abruptness — 

"  Do  you  really  come  from  Dudley  ?  " 

"  I  do  really.  Miss  Ringrose.  Why  does  it 
sound  strange  to  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mean  that  it  sounds  strange." 
She  spoke  in  a  high  but  not  unmusical  note, 
very  quickly,  and  with  timid  glances  to  either 
side  of  her  collocutor.  "  But  Eve — Miss 
Madeley — gave  me  the  idea  that  Dudley  peo- 
ple must  be  great,  rough,  sooty  men.  Don't 
laugh  at  me,  please.  You  know  very  well, 
Eve,  that  you  always  talk  in  that  way.  Of 
course,  I  knew  that  there  must  be  people  of  a 
different  kind,  but — there  now,  you  *re  making 
me  confused,  and  I  don't  know  what  I  meant 
to  say." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  97 

She  was  a  thin-faced,  but  rather  pretty  girl, 
with  auburn  hair.  Belonging  to  a  class  which, 
especially  in  its  women,  has  little  intelligence 
to  boast  of,  she  yet  redeemed  herself  from  the 
charge  of  commonness  by  a  certain  vivacity  of 
feature  and  an  agreeable  suggestion  of  good 
feeling  in  her  would-be  frank  but  nervous 
manner.  Milliard  laughed  merrily  at  the  vision 
in  her  mind  of  "  great,  rough,  sooty  men." 

"  I  'm  sorry  to  disappoint  you,  Miss  Ring- 
rose." 

"  No,  but  really — what  sort  of  a  place  is 
Dudley  ?  Is  it  true  that  they  call  it  the  Black 
Country?" 

"  Let  us  walk  about,"  interposed  Eve.  "  Mr. 
Milliard  will  tell  you  all  he  can  about  the  Black 
Country." 

She  moved  on,  and  they  rambled  aimlessly ; 
among  cigar-smoking  clerks  and  shopmen,  each 
with  the  female  of  his  kind  in  wondrous  hat 
and  drapery ;  among  domestic  groups  from  the 


98  EVF/S  RANSOM. 

middle-class  suburbs,  and  from  regions  of  the 
artisan ;  among  the  frankly  rowdy  and  the 
solemnly  superior ;  here  and  there  a  man  in 
evening  dress,  generally  conscious  of  his  white 
tie  and  starched  shirt,  and  a  sprinkling  of 
unattached  young  women  with  roving  eyes. 
Milliard,  excited  by  the  success  of  his  ad- 
vances, and  by  companionship  after  long 
solitude,  became  very  unlike  himself,  talking 
and  jesting  freely.  Most  of  the  conversation 
passed  between  him  and  Miss  Ringrose;  Eve 
had  fallen  into  an  absent  mood,  answered 
carelessly  when  addressed,  laughed  without 
genuine  amusement,  and  sometimes  wore  the 
look  of  trouble  which  Hilliard  had  observed 
whilst  in  the  train. 

Before  long  she  declared  that  it  was  time  to 
go  home. 

"  What 's  the  hurry  ?  "  said  her  friend.  "  It 's 
nothing  like  ten  o  'clock  yet — is  it,  Mr.  Hill- 
iard?" 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  99 

"  I  don't  wish  to  stay  any- longer.  Of  course 
you  need  n't  go  unless  you  like,  Patty." 

Hilliard  had  counted  on  travelling  back  with 
her ;  to  his  great  disappointment,  Eve  answered 
his  request  to  be  allowed  to  do  so  with  a  coldly 
civil  refusal  which  there  was  no  misunderstand- 
ing. 

"  But  I  hope  you  will  let  me  see  you  again  ?" 
"  As  you  live  so   near  me,"  she  answered, 
"  we  are  pretty  sure  to  meet.     Are  you  com- 
ing or  not,  Patty  ?  " 

"  Oh,  of  course  I  shall  go  if  you  do." 
The  young  man    shook  hands  with  them ; 
rather  formally  with  Eve,  with  Patty  Ringrose 
as  cordially  as  if  they  were  old  friends.     And 
then  he  lost  sight  of  them  amid  the  throng. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HOW  did  Eve  Madeley  contrive  to  lead 
this  life  of  leisure  and  amusement  ? 
The  question  occupied  Milliard  well  on  into 
the  small  hours ;  he  could  hit  upon  no  explan- 
ation which  had  the  least  plausibility. 

Was  she  engaged  to  be  married  to  the  man 
who  met  her  at  the  Exhibition  ?  Her  behav- 
iour in  his  company  by  no  means  supported 
such  a  surmise ;  yet  there  must  be  something 
more  than  ordinary  acquaintance  between  the 
two. 

Might  not  Patty  Ringrose  be  able  and  will- 
ing to  solve  for  him  the  riddle  of  Eve's  exist- 
ence ?  But  he  had  no  idea  where  Patty  lived. 
He  recalled  her  words  in  Gower  Street  :  "  You 
are  going  it,  Eve  ! "  and  they  stirred  miserable 
doubts ;  yet  something  more  than  mere  hope 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  loi 

inclined  him  to  believe  that  the  girl's  life  was 
innocent.  Her  look,  her  talk  reassured  him  ; 
so  did  her  friendship  with  such  a  person  as  the 
ingenuous  Patty.  On  learning  that  he  dwelt 
close  by  her  she  gave  no  sign  of  an  uneasy 
conscience. 

In  any  case,  the  contrast  between  her  actual 
life  and  that  suggested  by  Mrs.  Brewer's  talk 
about  her  was  singular  enough.  It  supplied 
him  with  a  problem  of  which  the  interest  would 
not  easily  be  exhausted.  But  he  must  pursue 
the  study  with  due  regard  to  honour  and  deli- 
cacy ;  he  would  act  the  spy  no  more.  As  Eve 
had  said,  they  were  pretty  sure  to  meet  before 
long  ;  if  his  patience  failed  it  was  always  pos- 
sible for  him  to  write  a  letter. 

Four  days  went  by  and  he  saw  nothing  of 
her.  On  the  fifth,  as  he  was  walking  home- 
ward in  the  afternoon,  he  came  face  to  face 
with  Miss  Madeley  in  Gower  Street.  She 
stopped  at  once,  and  offered  a  friendly  hand. 


I02  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"Will  you  let  me  walk  a  little  way  with 
you  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Certainly.  I  'm  just  going  to  change  a 
book  at  Mudie's."  She  carried  a  little  hand- 
bag. "  1  suppose  you  have  been  going  about 
London  a  great  deal  ?  Don't  the  streets  look 
beautiful  at  this  time  of  the  year  ?  " 

"  Beautiful  ?  I  'm  not  sure  that  I  see  much 
beauty." 

"  Oh,  don't  you  ?  I  delight  in  London.  I 
had  dreamt  of  it  all  my  life  before  I  came  here. 
I  always  said  to  myself  I  should  some  day  live 
in  London." 

Her  voice  to-day  had  a  vibrant  quality  which 
seemed  to  result  from  some  agreeable  emotion. 
Hilliard  remarked  a  gleam  in  her  eyes  and  a 
colour  in  her  cheeks  which  gave  her  an  appear- 
ance of  better  health  than  a  few  days  ago. 

"  You  never  go  into  the  country  ?"  he  said, 
feeling  unable  to  join  in  her  praise  of  London, 
though  it  was  intelligible  enough  to  him. 

"  I  go   now  and  then  as  far  as  Hampstead 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  103 

Heath,"  Eve  answered  with  a  smile.  "  If  it 's 
fine  I  shall  be  there  next  Sunday  with  Patty 
Ringrose." 

Milliard  grasped  the  opportunity.  Would 
she  permit  him  to  meet  her  and  Miss  Ringrose 
at  Hampstead  ?  Without  shadow  of  con- 
straint or  affectation,  Eve  replied  that  such  a 
meeting  would  give  her  pleasure :  she  men- 
tioned place  and  time  at  which  they  might 
conveniently  encounter. 

He  walked  with  her  all  the  way  to  the  library, 
and  attended  her  back  to  Gower  Place.  The 
result  of  this  conversation  was  merely  to  in- 
tensify the  conflict  of  feelings  which  Eve  had 
excited  in  him.  Her  friendliness  gave  him  no 
genuine  satisfaction  ;  her  animated  mood,  in 
spite  of  the  charm  to  which  he  submitted,  dis- 
turbed him  with  mistrust.  Nothing  she  said 
sounded  quite  sincere,  yet  it  was  more  difficult 
than  ever  to  imagine  that  she  played  a  part 
quite  alien  to  her  disposition. 

No  word  had  fallen  from  her  which  threw 


X04  EVE'S  RANSOM, 

light  upon  her  present  circumstances,  and  he 
feared  to  ask  any  direct  question.  It  had  sur- 
prised him  to  learn  that  she  subscribed  to 
Mudie's.  The  book  she  brought  away  with  her 
was  a  newly  published  novel,  and  in  the  few 
words  they  exchanged  on  the  subject  while 
standing  at  the  library  counter  she  seemed  to 
him  to  exhibit  a  surprising  acquaintance  with 
the  literature  of  the  day.  Of  his  own  short- 
comings in  this  respect  he  was  but  too  sensible, 
and  he  began  to  feel  himself  an  intellectual 
inferior,  where  every  probability  had  prepared 
him  for  the  reverse. 

The  next  morning  he  went  to  Mudie's  on  his 
own  account,  and  came  away  with  volumes 
chosen  from  those  which  lay  on  the  counter. 
He  was  tired  of  wandering  about  the  town, 
and  might  as  well  pass  his  time  in  reading. 

When  Sunday  came,  he  sought  the  appointed 
spot  at  Hampstead,  and  there,  after  an  hour's 
waiting,  met    the   two    friends.     Eve  was   no 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  •  105 

longer  in  her  vivacious  mood ;  brilliant  sun- 
shine, and  the  breeze  upon  the  heath,  had  no 
power  to  inspirit  her  ;  she  spoke  in  monosylla- 
bles, and  behaved  with  unaccountable  reserve. 
Milliard  had  no  choice  but  to  converse  with 
Patty,  who  was  as  gay  and  entertaining  as 
ever.  In  the  course  of  their  gossip  he  learnt 
that  Miss  Ringrose  was  employed  at  a  music- 
shop,  kept  by  her  uncle,  where  she  sold  the 
latest  songs  and  dances,  and  "  tried  over  "  on  a 
piano  any  unfamiliar  piece  which  a  customer 
might  think  of  purchasing.  It  was  not  easy  to 
understand  how  these  two  girls  came  to  be  so 
intimate,  for  they  seemed  to  have  very  little  in 
common.  Compared  with  Eve  Madeley,  Patty 
was  an  insignificant  little  person ;  but  of  her 
moral  uprightness  Milliard  felt  only  the  more 
assured  the  longer  he  talked  with  her,  and  this 
still  had  a  favourable  effect  upon  his  estimate 
of  Eve. 

Again  there  passed  a  few  days  without  event. 


io6  •  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

But  about  nine  o'clock  on  Wednesday  evening, 
as  he  sat  at  home  over  a  book,  his  landlady 
entered  the  room  with  a  surprising  announce- 
ment. 

"  There  *s  a  young  lady  wishes  to  see  you, 
Sir.     Miss  Ringrose  is  the  name." 

Milliard  sprang  up. 

"  Please  ask  her  to  come  in." 

The  woman  eyed  him  in  a  manner  he  was 
too  excited  to  understand. 

''  She  would  like  to  speak  to  you  at  the  door, 
Sir,  if  you  would  n't  mind  going  out." 

He  hastened  thither.  The  front  door  stood 
open,  and  a  light  from  the  passage  shone  on 
Patty's  face.  In  the  girl's  look  he  saw  at  once 
that  something  was  wrong. 

'*  Oh,  Mr.  Hilliard — I  did  n't  know  your 
number — I  've  been  to  a  lot  of  houses  asking 
for  you " 

"  What  is  it?"  he  inquired,  going  out  on  to 
the  doorstep. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  107 

"  I  called  to  see  Eve,  and— I  don't  know 
what  it  meant,  but  she  's  gone  away.  The 
landlady  says  she  left  this  morning  with  her 
luggage — went  away  for  good.  And  it  's  so 
strange  that  she  has  n't  let  me  know  anything. 
I  can't  understand  it.  I  wanted  to  ask  if  you 
know ■' 

Milliard  stared  at  the  house  opposite. 

"  I  ?  I  know  nothing  whatever  about  it. 
Come  in  and  tell  me " 

"If  you  would  n't  mind  coming  out " 


"  Yes,  yes.  One  moment ;  I  '11  get  my 
hat." 

He  rejoined  the  girl,  and  they  turned  in  the 
direction  of  Euston  Square,  where  people  were 
few. 

"  I  could  n't  help  coming  to  see  you,  Mr. 
Hilliard,"  said  Patty,  whose  manner  indicated 
the  gravest  concern.  "It  has  put  me  in  such 
a  fright.  I  have  n't  seen  her  since  Sunday. 
I  came  to-night,  as  soon  as  I  could  get  away 


io8  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

from  the  shop,  because  I  did  n't  feel  easy  in 
my  mind  about  her." 

"  Why  did  you  feel  anxious  ?  What  has 
been  going  on  ?  " 

He  searched  her  face.  Patty  turned  away, 
kept  silence  for  a  moment,  and  at  length,  with 
one  of  her  wonted  outbursts  of  confidence,  said 
nervously  : 

"It  's  something  I  can't  explain.  But  as 
you  were  a  friend  of  hers " 

A  man  came  by,  and  Patty  broke  off. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HILLIARD  waited  for  her  to  continue,  but 
Patty  kept  her  eyes  down  and  said  no 
more. 

"  Did  you  think,"  he  asked,  "  that  I  was 
likely  to  be  in  Miss  Madeley's  confidence  ?" 

"  You  've  known  her  a  long  time,  have  n't 
you  ? 

This  proof  of  reticence,  or  perhaps  of  de- 
liberate misleading,  on  Eve's  part  astonished 
Hilliard.  He  replied  evasively  that  he  had 
very  little  acquaintance  with  Miss  Madeley's 
affairs,  and  added  : 

"  May  she  not  simply  have  changed  her 
lodgings  ?  " 

"  Why  should  she  go  so  suddenly,  and  with- 
out letting  me  know  ?  " 

109 


no  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  What  had  the  landlady  to  say  ?  " 

"  She  heard  her  tell  the  cab  to  drive  to 
Mudie's — the  library,  you  know." 

"  Why,"  said  Hilliard  ;  "  that  meant,  per- 
haps, that  she  wanted  to  return  a  book  before 
leaving  London.  Is  there  any  chance  that  she 
has  gone  home — to  Dudley  ?  Perhaps  her 
father  is  ill,  and  she  was  sent  for." 

Patty  admitted  this  possibility,  but  with 
every  sign  of  doubt. 

"The  landlady  said  she  had  a  letter  this 
morning." 

"  Did  she  ?  Then  it  may  have  been  from 
Dudley.  But  you  know  her  so  much  better 
than  I  do.  Of  course,  you  must  n't  tell  me  any- 
thing you  don't  feel  it  right  to  speak  of  ;  still, 
did  it  occur  to  you  that  I  could  be  of  any 
use  ?  " 

"  No,  I  did  n't  think ;  I  only  came  because 
I  was  so  upset  when  I  found  her  gone.  I 
knew  you  lived  in    Gower  Place  somewhere. 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  1 1 1 

and  I  thought  you  might  have  seen  her  since 
Sunday." 

"  I  have  not.  But  surely  you  will  hear  from 
her  very  soon.  You  may  even  get  a  letter  to- 
night, or  to-morrow  morning." 

Patty  gave  a  little  spring  of  hopefulness. 

"  Yes  ;  a  letter  might  come  by  the  last  post 
to-night.     I  '11  go  home  at  once." 

"  And  I  will  come  with  you,"  said  Milliard. 
"  Then  you  can  tell  me  whether  you  have  any 
news." 

They  turned  and  walked  towards  the  foot 
of  Hampstead  Road,  whence  they  could  go 
by  tram-car  to  Patty's  abode  in  High  Street, 
Camden  Town.  Supported  by  the  hope  of 
finding  a  letter  when  she  arrived,  Miss  Ring- 
rose  grew  more  like  herself. 

"  You  must  have  wondered  what^z/^r  I  meant 

by  calling  to  see  you,  Mr.  HilHard.     I  went  to 

five  or  six  houses  before  I  hit  on  the  right  one. 

I  do  wish  now  that  I  'd  waited  a  little,  but  I  'm 
8 


112  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

always  doing  things  in  that  way  and  being 
sorry  for  them  directly  after.  Eve  is  my  best 
friend,  you  know,  and  that  makes  me  so  anxious 
about  her." 

"  How  long  have  you  known  her  ?" 
"  Oh,  ever  so  long — about  a  year." 
The   temptation    to  make  another   inquiry 
was  too  strong  for  Milliard. 

"  Where  has  she  been  employed  of  late  ?  " 
Patty  looked  up  at  him  with  surprise. 
"  On,    don't  you  know  ?     She    is  n't    doing 
anything   now.     The   people   where   she  was 
went  bankrupt,  and  she 's  been  out  of  a  place 
for  more  than  a  month." 

'*  Can't  find  another  engagement  ?  " 
"She  has  n't  tried  yet.  She  's  taking  a  holi- 
day. It  is  n't  very  nice  work,  adding  up  money 
all  day.  I  'm  sure  .  it  would  drive  me  out  of 
my  senses  very  soon.  I  think  she  might  find 
something  better  than  that." 

Miss    Ringrose   continued  to    talk    of    her 
friend  all  the  way  to  Camden  Town,  but  the 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  113 

information  he  gathered  did  not  serve  to 
advance  Milliard  in  his  understanding  of 
Eve's  character.  That  she  was  keeping  back 
something  of  grave  import  the  girl  had  already 
confessed,  and  in  her  chatter  she  frequently 
checked  herself  on  the  verge  of  an  indiscre- 
tion. Milliard  took  for  granted  that  the 
mystery  had  to  do  with  the  man  he  had  seen 
at  Earl's  Court.  If  Eve  actually  disappeared, 
he  would  not  scruple  to  extract  from  Patty  all 
that  she  knew  ;  but  he  must  see  first  whether 
Eve  would  communicate  with  her  friend. 

In  Migh  Street  Patty  entered  a  small  shop 
which  was  on  the  point  of  being  closed  for 
the  night. 

Milliard  waited  for  her  a  few  yards  away  ; 
on  her  return  he  saw  at  once  that  she  was  dis- 
appointed. 

"  There  's  nothing  ! " 

"It  may  come  in  the  morning.  I  should 
like  to  know  whether  you  hear  or  not." 

"Would  this  be  out  of   your  way?"  asked 


114  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Patty.  "  I  'm  generally  alone  in  the  shop  from 
half-past  one  to  half-past  two.  There  's  very 
seldom  any  business  going  on  then." 

"  Then  I  will  come  to-morrow  at  that  time." 

"  Do,  please  ?  If  I  have  n't  heard  anything 
I  shall  be  that  nervous." 

They  talked  to  no  purpose  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  bade  each  other  good-night. 

Next  day,  at  the  hour  Patty  had  appointed, 
Milliard  was  again  in  High  Street.  As  he 
approached  the  shop  he  heard  from  within  the 
jingle  of  a  piano.  A  survey  through  the  closed 
glass  door  showed  him  Miss  Ringrose  playing 
for  her  own  amusement.  He  entered,  and 
Patty  jumped  up  with  a  smile  of  welcome. 

"  It 's  all  right !  I  had  a  letter  this  morning. 
She  has  gone  to  Dudley." 

"■  Ah  !  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  Any  reason 
given  ?  " 

**  Nothing  particular,"  answered  the  girl, 
striking  a  note  on  the  piano  with  her  fore- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  \x$ 

finger.  "  She  thought  she  might  as  well  go 
home  for  a  week  or  two  before  taking  another 
place.  She  has  heard  of  something  in  Hol- 
born." 

"  So  your  alarm  was  groundless." 

"  Oh — I  did  n't  really  feel  alarmed,  Mr. 
Hilliard.  You  must  n't  think  that.  I  often 
do  silly  things." 

Patty's  look  and  tone  were  far  from  reassur- 
ing. Evidently  she  had  been  relieved  from 
her  suspense,  but  no  less  plainly  did  she  seek 
to  avoid  an  explanation  of  it.  Hilliard  began 
to  glance  about  the  shop. 

"  My  uncle,"  resumed  Patty,  turning  with 
her  wonted  sprightliness  to  another  subject, 
"  always  goes  out  for  an  hour  or  two  in  the 
middle  of  the  day  to  play  billiards.  I  can  tell 
by  his  face  when  he  comes  back  whether  he's 
lost  or  won ;  he  does  so  take  it  to  heart,  silly 
man  !    T>o  you  play  billiards  ?  " 

The  other  shook  his  head. 


ii6  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  I  thought  not.     You  have  a  serious  look." 

HilHard  did  not  relish  this  compliment.  He 
imagined  he  had  cast  away  his  gloom  ;  he  de- 
sired to  look  like  the  men  who  take  life  with 
easy  courage.  As  he  gazed  through  the  glass 
door  into  the  street,  a  figure  suddenly  blocked 
his  prospect,  and  a  face  looked  in.  Then  the 
door  opened,  and  there  entered  a  young  man 
of  clerkly  appearance,  who  glanced  from  Miss 
Ringrose  to  her  companion  with  an  air  of 
severity.     Patty  had  reddened  a  little. 

"  What  are  yoti  doing  here  at  this  time  of 
day  ?  "   she  asked  familiarly. 

"  Oh — business — had  to  look  up  a  man  over 
here.     Thought  I  'd  speak  a  word  as  I  passed." 

Milliard  drew  aside. 

"  Who  has  opened  this  new  shop  opposite  ?" 
added  the  young  man,  beckoning  from  the 
doorway. 

A  more  transparent  pretext  for  drawing  Patty 
away  could  not  have  been  conceived  ;  but  she 


E  VE  'S  RANSOM.  117 

readily  lent  herself  to  it,  and  followed.  The 
door  closed  behind  them.  In  a  few  minutes 
Patty  returned  alone,  with  rosy  cheeks  and 
mutinous  lips. 

"  I  'm  very  sorry  to  have  been  in  the  way," 
said  Milliard,  smiling. 

"Oh,  not  you.  It 'sail  right.  Someone  I 
know.  He  can  be  sensible  enough  when  he 
likes,  but  sometimes  he  's  such  a  silly  there  's 
no  putting  up  with  him.  Have  you  heard  the 
new  waltz — the  Ballroom  Queen  ? " 

She  sat  down  and  rattled  over  this  exhilarat- 
ing masterpiece. 

"Thank  you,"  said  Hilliard.  "You  play 
very  cleverly." 

"  Oh,  so  can  anybody — that 's  nothing." 

"  Does  Miss  Madeley  play  at  all  ?" 

"No.  She's  always  saying  she  wishes  she 
could  ;  but  I  tell  her,  what  does  it  matter  ? 
She  knows  no  end  of  things  that  I  don't,  and 
I  'd  a  good  deal  rather  have  that" 


1 18  EVE 'S  RANSOM. 

"  She  reads  a  good  deal,  I  suppose  ?  " 
"  Oh,  I  should  think  she  does,  just !     And 
she  can  speak  French." 

"Indeed?  How  did  she  learn  ?" 
"  At  the  place  where  she  was  bookkeeper 
there  was  a  young  lady  from  Paris,  and  they 
shared  lodgings,  and  Eve  learnt  it  from  her. 
Then  her  friend  went  to  Paris  again,  and  Eve 
wanted  very  much  to  go  with  her,  but  she  did  n't 
see  how  to  manage  it.  Eve,"  she  added,  with 
a  laugh,  "  is  always  wanting  to  do  something 
that's  impossible." 

A  week  later,  Hilliard  again  called  at  the 
music-shop,  and  talked  for  half  an  hour  with 
Miss  Ringrose,  who  had  no  fresh  news  from 
Eve.  His  visits  were  repeated  at  intervals  of 
a  few  days,  and  at  length,  towards  the  end  of 
June,  he  learnt  that  Miss  Madeley  was  about 
to  return  to  London  ;  she  had  obtained  a  new 
engagement,  at  the  establishment  in  Holborn 
of  which  Patty  had  spoken. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  119 

"  And  will  she  come  back  to  her  old  lodg- 
ings ?  "  he  inquired. 

Patty  shook  her  head. 

"  She  '11  stay  with  me.  I  wanted  her  to 
come  here  before,  but  she  did  n't  care  about  it. 
Now  she 's  altered  her  mind,  and  I  'm  very 
glad." 

Milliard  hesitated  in  putting  the  next  ques- 
tion. 

"  Do  you  still  feel  anxious  about  her?" 

The  girl  met  his  eyes  for  an  instant. 

"  No.     It 's  all  right  now." 
*"  There  's  one  thing  I  should  like  you  to  tell 
me — if  you  can." 

"  About  Miss  Madeley  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  there  can  be  any  harm  in  your 
saying  yes  or  no.  Is  she  engaged  to  be 
married  ?  " 

Patty  replied  with  a  certain  eagerness. 

"No!  Indeed  she  isn't.  And  she  never 
has  been." 


1 20  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Thank  you."  Hilliard  gave  a  sigh  of  re- 
lief.    "  I  *m  very  glad  to  know  that." 

"  Of  course  you  are,"  Patty  answered,  with 
a  laugh. 

As  usual,  after  one  of  her  frank  remarks,  she 
turned  away  and  struck  chords  on  the  piano. 
Hilliard  meditated  the  while,  until  his  com- 
panion spoke  again. 

"  You  '11  see  her  before  long,  I  dare  say  ?  " 

"  Perhaps.     I  don't  know." 

"  At  all  events,  you  '11  want  to  see  her." 

"  Most  likely." 

"  Will  you  promise  me  something  ?  " 

"  If  it 's  in  my  power  to  keep  the  promise." 

"It's  only — I  should  be  so  glad  if  you 
would  n't  mention  anything  about  my  coming 
to  see  you  that  night  in  Gower  Place." 

"  I  won't  speak  of  it." 

"  Quite  sure?" 

"  You  may  depend  upon  me.  Would  you 
rather  she  did  n't  know  that  I  have  seen  you  at 
all?" 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  121 

"  Oh,  there 's  no  harm  in  that.  I  should  be 
sure  to  let  it  out.  I  shall  say  we  met  by  chance 
somewhere." 

"  Very  well.  I  feel  tempted  to  ask  a  promise 
in  return." 

Patty  stood  with  her  hands  behind  her,  eyes 
wide  and  lips  slightly  apart. 

"  It  is  this,"  he  continued,  lowering  his  voice. 
"If  ever  you  should  begin  to  feel  anxious  again 
about  her  will  you  let  me  know  ?  " 

Her  reply  was  delayed  ;  it  came  at  length  in 
the  form  of  an  embarrassed  nod.  Thereupon 
Milliard  pressed  her  hand  and  departed. 

He  knew  the  day  on  which  Eve  would  arrive 
in  London  ;  from  morning  to  night  a  feverish 
unrest  drove  him  about  the  streets.  On  the 
morrow  he  was  scarcely  more  at  ease,  and  for 
several  days  he  lived  totally  without  occupa- 
tion, save  in  his  harassing  thoughts.  He  paced 
and  repaced  the  length  of  Holborn,  wondering 
where  it  was  that  Eve  had  found  employment ; 
but  from  Camden  Town  he  held  aloof. 


128  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

One  morning  there  arrived  for  him  a  post- 
card on  which  was  scribbled  :  "  We  are  going 
to  the  Savoy  on  Saturday  night.  Gallery." 
No  signature,  no  address  ;  but  of  course  the 
writer  must  be  Patty  Ringrose.  Mentally,  he 
thanked  her  with  much  fervour.  And  on  the 
stated  evening,  nearly  an  hour  before  the  open- 
ing of  the  doors,  he  climbed  the  stone  steps 
leading  to  the  gallery  entrance  of  the  Savoy 
Theatre.  At  the  summit  two  or  three  persons 
were  already  waiting — strangers  to  him.  He 
leaned  against  the  wall,  and  read  an  evening 
paper.  At  every  sound  of  approaching  feet 
his  eyes  watched  with  covert  eagerness.  Pres- 
ently he  heard  a  laugh,  echoing  from  below,  and 
recognised  Patty's  voice ;  then  Miss  Ringrose 
appeared  round  the  winding  in  the  staircase, 
and  was  followed  by  Eve  Madeley.  Patty 
glanced  up,  and  smiled  consciously  as  she  dis- 
covered the  face  she  had  expected  to  see  ;  but 
Eve  remained  for  some  minutes  unaware  of 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  1 23 

her  acquaintance's  proximity.  Scrutinising  her 
appearance,  as  he  could  at  his  ease,  Milliard 
thouofht  she  looked  far  from  well  :  she  had  a 
tired,  dispirited  expression,  and  paid  no  heed  to 
the  people  about  her.  Her  dress  was  much 
plainer  than  that  she  wore  a  month  ago. 

He  saw  Patty  whispering  to  her  companion, 
and,  as  a  result.  Eve's  eyes  turned  in  his  direc- 
tion. He  met  her  look,  and  had  no  difficulty 
in  making  his  way  doWn  two  or  three  steps,  to 
join  her.  The  reception  she  gave  him  was  one 
of  civil  indifference.  Hilliard  made  no  remark 
on  what  seemed  the  chance  of  their  encounter, 
nor  did  he  speak  of  her  absence  from  London  •; 
they  talked,  as  far  as  talk  was  possible  under 
the  circumstances,  of  theatrical  and  kindred 
subjects.  He  could  not  perceive  that  the  girl 
was  either  glad  or  sorry  to  have  met  him  again  ; 
but  by  degrees  her  mood  brightened  a  little, 
and  she  exclaimed  with  pleasure  when  the  open- 
ing of  the  door  caused  an  upward  movement. 


124  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

*'  You  have  been  away,"  he  said,  when  they 
were  in  their  places,  he  at  one  side  of  Eve, 
Patty  on  the  other. 

"  Yes.     At  Dudley." 

"  Did  you  see  Mrs.  Brewer?" 

"  Several  times.  She  has  n't  got  another 
lodger  yet,  and  wishes  you  would  go  back 
again.  A  most  excellent  character  she  gave 
you." 

This  sounded  satirical. 

"  I  deserved  the  best  she  could  say  of  me," 
Hilliard  answered. 

Eve  glanced  at  him,  smiled  doubtfully,  and 
turned  to  talk  with  Patty  Ringrose.  Through 
the  evening  there  was  no  further  mention  of 
Dudley.  Eve  could  with  difficulty  be  induced 
to  converse  at  all,  and  when  the  entertainment 
was  over  she  pointedly  took  leave  of  him  within 
the  theatre.  But  while  shaking  hands  with 
Patty,  he  saw  something  in  that  young  lady's 
face  which  caused  him  to  nod  and  smile. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"  I  ^HERE  came  an  afternoon  early  in  July 
*  when  Hilliard,  tired  with  a  long  ramble 
in  search  of  old  City  churches — his  architec- 
tural interests  never  failed — sought  rest  and 
coolness  in  a  Fleet  Street  tavern  of  time-hon- 
oured name.  It  was  long  since  he  had  yielded 
to  any  extravagance  ;  to-day  his  palate  de- 
manded wine,  and  with  wine  he  solaced  it. 
When  he  went  forth  again  into  the  roaring 
highway  things  glowed  before  him  in  a  mel- 
low light :  the  sounds  of  Fleet  Street  made 
music  to  his  ears ;  he  looked  with  joyous  be- 
nignity into  the  faces  of  men  and  women,  and 
nowhere  discovered  a  countenance  inharmoni- 
ous with  his  gallant  mood. 

No  longer  weary,  he  strolled  westward,  con- 

125 


136  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

tent  with  the  satisfactions  of  each  passing  mo- 
ment. "  This,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  is  the  joy 
of  Hfe.  Past  and  future  are  alike  powerless 
over  me  ;  I  live  in  the  glorious  sunlight  of  this 
summer  day,  under  the  benediction  of  a  great- 
hearted wine.  Noble  wine !  Friend  of  the 
friendless,  companion  of  the  solitary,  Hfter-up 
of  hearts  that  are  oppressed,  inspirer  of  brave 
thoughts  in  them  that  fail  beneath  the  burden 
of  being.  Thanks  to  thee,  O  priceless  wine  !  " 
A  bookseller's  window  arrested  him.  There, 
open  to  the  gaze  of  every  pedestrian,  stood  a 
volume  of  which  the  sight  made  him  thrill  with 
rapture ;  a  finely  illustrated  folio,  a  treatise  on 
the  Cathedrals  of  France.  Five  guineas  was 
the  price  it  bore.  A  moment's  lingering,  re- 
strained by  some  ignoble  spirit  of  thrift  which 
the  wine  had  not  utterly  overcome,  and  he 
entered  the  shop.  He  purchased  the  volume. 
It  would  have  pleased  him  to  carry  it  away, 
but  in  mere  good-nature  he  allowed  the  shop- 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  1 2  7 

man's  suggestion  to  prevail,  and  gave  his  ad- 
dress that  the  great  tome  might  be  sent  to 
him. 

How  cheap  it  was — five  guineas  for  so  much 
instant  deHght  and  such  boundless  joy  of 
anticipation  ! 

On  one  of  the  benches  in  Trafalgar  Square 
he  sat  for  a  long  time  watching  the  fountains, 
and  ever  and  anon  letting  them  lead  his  eyes 
upwards  to  the  great  snowy  clouds  that  gleamed 
upon  the  profound  blue.  Some  ragged  chil- 
dren were  at  play  near  him ;  he  searched  his 
pocket,  collected  coppers  and  small  silver,  and 
with  a  friendly  cry  of  "  Holloa,  you  ragamuf- 
fins ! "  scattered  amazement  and  delight. 

St.  Martin's  Church  told  him  that  the  hour 
was  turned  of  six.  Then  a  purpose  that  had 
hung  vaguely  in  his  mind  like  a  golden  mist 
took  form  and  substance.  He  set  off  to  walk 
northward,  came  out  into  Holborn,  and  loitered 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  certain   place  of 


128  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

business,  which  of  late  he  had  many  times 
observed.  It  was  not  long  that  he  had  to  wait. 
Presently  there  came  forth  someone  whom  he 
knew,  and  with  quick  steps  he  gained  her  side. 

Eve  Madeley  perceived  him  without  sur- 
prise. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  am  here  again.  If  it's 
disagreeable  to  you,  tell  me,  and  I  will  go  my 
own  way  at  once." 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  send  you  away,"  she 
answered,  with  a  smile  of  self-possession. 
"  But  all  the  same,  I  think  it  would  be  wiser 
if  you  did  go." 

"  Ah,  then,  if  you  leave  me  to  judge  for  my- 
self  !     You    look    tired    this   evening.      I 

have  something  to  say  to  you ;  let  us  turn  for 
a  moment  up  this  byway." 

"  No,  let  us  walk  straight  on." 

"  I  beg  of  you  ! — Now  you  are  kind.  I  am 
going  to  dine  at  a  restaurant.  Usually,  I  eat 
my  dinner  at  home — a  bad  dinner  and  a  cheer- 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  x  29 

less  room.  On  such  an  evening  as  this  I  can't 
go  back  and  appease  hunger  in  that  animal 
way.  But  when  I  sit  down  in  the  restaurant 
I  shall  be  alone.  It 's  miserable  to  see  the 
groups  of  people  enjoying  themselves  all  round 
and  to  sit  lonely.  I  can't  tell  you  how  long  it 
is  since  I  had  a  meal  in  company.  Will  you 
come  and  dine  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  can't  do  that." 

"  Where 's  the  impossibility  ?  " 

"  I  should  n't  like  to  do  it." 

"  But  would  it  be  so  very  disagreeable  to  sit 
and  talk  ?  Or,  I  won't  ask  you  to  talk  ;  only 
to  let  me  talk  to  you.  Give  me  an  hour  or 
two  of  your  time — that's  what  I  ask.  It 
means  so  much  to  me,  and  to  you,  what  does 
it  matter?" 

Eve  walked  on  in  silence  ;  his  entreaties 
kept  pace  with  her.     At  length  she  stopped. 

"  It 's  all  the  same  to  me — if  you  wish 
it " 


I30  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"Thank  you  a  thousand  times  !" 

They  walked  back  into  Holborn,  and  Mill- 
iard, talking  merely  of  trifles,  led  the  way  to 
a  great  hall,  where  some  scores  of  people  were 
already  dining.  He  selected  a  nook  which 
gave  assurance  of  privacy,  sketched  to  the 
waiter  a  modest  but  carefully  chosen  repast, 
and  from  his  seat  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
table  laughed  silently  at  Eve  as  she  leaned 
back  on  the  plush  cushions.  In  no  way  dis- 
concerted by  the  show  of  luxury  about  her, 
Eve  seemed  to  be  reflecting,  not  without  en- 
joyment. 

"  You  would  rather  be  here  than  going  home 
in  the  Camden  Town  'bus  ?  " 

**  Of  course." 

"  That 's  what  I  like  in  you.  You  have 
courage  to  tell  the  truth.  When  you  said  that 
you  could  n't  come,  it  was  what  you  really 
thought.  Now  that  you  have  learnt  your 
mistake,  you  confess  it." 


EVE 'S  EANSOM.  1 3 1 

'*  I  could  n't  have  done  it  if  I  had  n't  made 
up  my  mind  that  it  was  all  the  same,  whether 
I  came  or  refused." 

*'  All  the  same  to  you.  Yes ;  I  'm  quite 
willing  that  you  should  think  it  so.  It  puts 
me  at  my  ease.  I  have  nothing  to  reproach 
myself  with.  Ah,  but  how  good  it  is  to  sit 
here  and  talk  ! " 

"  Don't  you  know  anyone  else  who  would 
come  with  you  ?  Have  n't  you  made  any 
friends?" 

"  Not  one.  You  and  Miss  Ringrose  are  the 
only  persons  I  know  in  London." 

"  I  can't  understand  why  you  live  in  that 
way." 

"  How  should  I  make  friends — among  men  ? 
Why,  it 's  harder  than  making  money — which 
I  have  never  done  yet,  and  never  shall,  I  'm 
afraid." 

Eve  averted  her  eyes,  and  again  seemed  to 
meditate. 


132  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  I  '11  tell  you,"  pursued  the  young  man, 
"  how  the  money  came  to  me  that  I  am  living 
on  now.  It  '11  fill  up  the  few  moments  while 
we  are  waiting." 

He  made  of  it  an  entertaining  narrative, 
which  he  concluded  just  as  the  soup  was  laid 
before  them.  Eve  listened  with  frank  curios- 
ity, with  an  amused  smile.  Then  came  a  lull 
in  the  conversation.  Hilliard  began  his  dinner 
with  appetite  and  gusto  ;  the  girl,  after  a  few 
sips,  neglected  her  soup  and  glanced  about  the 
neighboring  tables. 

"In  my  position,"  said  Hilliard  at  length, 
"  what  would  you  have  done  ?  " 

"  It's  a  difficult  thing  to  put  myself  in  your 
position." 

"Is  it,  really  ?  Why,  then,  I  will  tell  you 
something  more  of  myself.  You  say  that  Mrs. 
Brewer  gave  me  an  excellent  character  ?" 

"  I  certainly  should  n't  have  known  you  from 
her  description." 


EVE'S  RANSOM,  133 

Hilliard  laughed. 

"  I  seem  to  you  so  disreputable  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly  that,"  replied  Eve  thoughtfully. 
"  But  you  seem  altogether  a  different  person 
from  what  you  seemed  to  her." 

"  Yes,  I  can  understand  that.  And  it  gives 
me  an  opportunity  for  saying  that  you,  Miss 
Madeley,  are  as  different  as  possible  from  the 
idea  I  formed  of  you  when  I  heard  Mrs.  Brew- 
er's description." 

"  She  described  me  ?  I  should  so  like  to 
hear  what  she  said." 

The  changing  of  plates  imposed  a  brief 
silence.  Hilliard  drank  a  glass  of  wine  and 
saw  that  Eve  just  touched  her's  with  her 
lips. 

"  You  shall  hear  that — ^but  not  now.  I  want 
to  enable  you  to  judge  me,  and  if  I  let  you 
know  the  facts  while  dinner  goes  on  it  won't  be 
so  tiresome  as  if  I  began  solemnly  to  tell  you 
my  life,  as  people  do  in  novels." 


134  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

He  erred,  if  anything,  on  the  side  of  brevity, 
but  in  the  succeeding  quarter  of  an  hour  Eve 
was  able  to  gather  from  his  careless  talk,  which 
sedulously  avoided  the  pathetic  note,  a  fair  no- 
tion of  what  his  existence  had  been  from  boy- 
hood upward.  It  supplemented  the  account 
of  himself  she  had  received  from  him  when 
they  met  for  the  first  time.  As  he  proceeded 
she  grew  more  attentive,  and  occasionally  al- 
lowed her  eyes  to  encounter  his. 

"  There  's  only  one  other  person  who  has 
heard  all  this  from  me,"  he  said  at  length. 
"  That 's  a  friend  of  mine  at  Birmingham — a 
man  called  Narramore.  When  I  got  Dengate's 
money  I  went  to  Narramore,  and  I  told  him 
what  use  I  was  going  to  make  of  it." 

"  That 's  what  you  have  n't  told  me,"  re- 
marked the  listener. 

"  I  will,  now  that  you  can  understand  me. 
I  resolved  to  go  right  away  from  all  the  sights 
and  sounds  that  I  hated,  and  to  live  a  man's 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  135 

life,  for  just  as  long  as  the  money  would 
last." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  a  man's  life  ?" 

"  Why,  a  life  of  enjoyment,  instead  of  a  life 
not  worthy  to  be  called  life  at  all.  This  is  part 
of  it,  this  evening.  I  have  had  enjoyable  hours 
since  I  left  Pudley,  but  never  yet  one  like  this. 
And  because  I  owe  it  to  you,  I  shall  remember 
you  with  gratitude  as  long  as  I  remember  any- 
thing at  all." 

"  That 's  a  mistake,"  said  Eve.  "  You  owe 
the  enjoyment,  whatever  it  is,  to  your  money, 
not  to  me." 

"  You  prefer  to  look  at  it  in  that  way.  Be 
it  so.  I  had  a  delightful  month  in  Paris,  but 
I  was  driven  back  to  England  by  loneliness. 
Now,  if  you  had  been  there  !  If  I  could  have 
seen  you  each  evening  for  an  hour  or  two,  had 
dinner  with  you  at  the  restaurant,  talked  with 
you  about  what  I  had  seen  in  the  day — but  that 
would  have  been  perfection,  and  I  have  never 


136  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

hoped  for  more  than  moderate,  average  pleas- 
ure— such  as  ordinary  well-to-do  men  take  as 
their  right.' 

"  What  did  you  do  in  Paris  ?" 

"  Saw  things  I  have  longed  to  see  any  time 
the  last  fifteen  years  or  so.  Learned  to  talk 
a  little  French.  Got  to  feel  a  better  educated 
man  than  I  was  before." 

'*  Did  n't  Dudley  seem  a  long  way  off  when 
you  were  there  ?  "  asked  Eve  half  absently. 

"In  another  planet. — You  thought  once  of 
going  to  Paris;   Miss  Ringrose  told  me." 

Eve  knitted  her  brows,  and  made  no  answer. 


CHAPTER  X. 

WHEN  fruit  had  been  set  before  them — 
and  as  he  was  peeling  a  banana  : 

''What  a  vast  difference,"  said  Hilliard, 
"  between  the  life  of  people  who  dine,  and  of 
those  who  don't !  It  isn't  the  mere  pleasure 
of  eating,  the  quality  of  the  food — though  that 
must  have  a  great  influence  on  mind  and  char- 
acter. But  to  sit  for  an  hour  or  two  each  even- 
ing in  quiet,  orderly  enjoyment,  with  graceful 
things  about  one,  talking  of  whatever  is  pleas- 
ant— how  it  civilises  !  Until  three  months  ago 
I  never  dined  in  my  life,  and  I  know  well  what 
a  change  it  has  made  in  me." 

"  I  never  dined  till  this  evening,"  said  Eve. 

"  Never  ?     This  is  the  first  time  you  have 

been  at  a  restaurant?" 

137 


138  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  For  dinner — yes." 

Milliard  heard  the  avowal  with  surprise  and 
delight.  After  all,  there  could  not  have  been 
much  intimacy  between  her  and  the  man  she 
met  at  the  Exhibition. 

"  When  I  go  back  to  slavery,"  he  continued, 
"  I  shall  bear  it  more  philosophically.  It  was 
making  me  a  brute,  but  I  think  there  '11  be  no 
more  danger  of  that.  The  memory  of  civilisa- 
tion will  abide  with  me.  I  shall  remind  myself 
that  I  was  once  a  free  man,  and  that  will  sup- 
port me." 

Eve  regarded  him  with  curiosity. 

"  Is  there  no  choice  ?  "  she  asked.  "  While 
you  have  money,  could  n't  you  find  some  bet- 
ter way  of  earning  a  living  ?" 

"  I  have  given  it  a  thought  now  and  then, 
but  it 's  very  doubtful.  There  's  only  one  thing 
at  which  I  might  have  done  well,  and  that 's 
architecture.  From  studying  it  just  for  my 
own  pleasure,   I  believe    I  know  more  about 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  139 

architecture  than  most  men  who  are  not  in  the 
profession  ;  but  it  would  take  a  long  time  be- 
fore I  could  earn  money  by  it.  I  could  prepare 
myself  to  be  an  architectural  draughtsman,  no 
doubt,  and  might  do  as  well  that  way  as  draw- 
ing machinery.     But " 

"  Then  why  don't  you  go  to  work  !  It  would 
save  you  from  living  in  hideous  places." 

"  After  all,  does  it  matter  much  ?  If  I  had 
anything  else  to  gain.  Suppose  I  had  any 
hope  of  marriage,  for  instance " 

He  said  it  playfully.  Eve  turned  her  eyes 
away,  but  gave  no  other  sign  of  self-conscious- 
ness. 

"  I  have  no  such  hope.  I  have  seen  too 
much  of  marriage  in  poverty." 

"  So  have  I,"  said  his  companion,  with  quiet 
emphasis. 

"  And  when  a  man  's  absolutely  sure  that  he 
will  never  have  an  income  of  more  than  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds " 


140  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  It's  a  crime  if  he  asks  a  woman  to  share 
it,"  Eve  added  coldly. 

"I  agree  with  you.  It's  well  to  under- 
stand each  other  on  that  point. — Talking  of 
architecture,  I  bought  a  grand  book  this 
afternoon." 

He  described  the  purchase,  and  mentioned 
what  it  cost. 

*  But  at  that  rate,"  said  Eve,  "  your  days  of 
slavery  will  come  again  very  soon." 

"Oh!  it's  so  rarely  that  I  spend  a  large 
sum.  On  most  days  I  satisfy  myself  with  the 
feeling  of  freedom,  and  live  as  poorly  as  ever  I 
did.  Still,  don't  suppose  that  I  am  bent  on 
making  my  money  last  a  very  long  time.  I  can 
imagine  myself  spending  it  all  in  a  week  or 
two,  and  feeling  I  had  its  worth.  The  only 
question  is,  how  can  I  get  most  enjoyment  ? 
The  very  best  of  a  lifetime  may  come  within 
a  single  day.  Indeed,  I  believe  it  very  often 
does." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  141 

"  I  doubt  that — at  least,  I  know  that  it 
couldn't  be  so  with  me." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  aimat  ?"  Hilliard  asked 
disinterestedly. 

"  Safety,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"  Safety  ?      From  what  ?  " 

"  From  years  of  struggle  to  keep  myself 
alive,  and  a  miserable  old  age." 

"Then  you  might  have  said — a  safety- 
match." 

The  jest,  and  its  unexpectedness,  struck 
sudden  laughter  from  Eve.  Hilliard  joined  in 
her  mirth. 

After  that  she  suggested,-  "Had  n't  we  bet- 
ter go  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Let  us  walk  quietly  on.  The  streets 
are  pleasant  after  sunset." 

On  rising,  after  he  had  paid  the  bill,  Hilliard 
chanced  to  see  himself  in  a  mirror.  He  had 
flushed  cheeks,  and  his  hair  was  somewhat  dis- 
orderly.    In   contrast   with    Eve's   colourless 


142  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

composure,  his  appearance  was  decidedly  bac- 
chanalian ;  but  the  thought  merely  amused  him. 

They  crossed  Holborn,  and  took  their  way 
up  Southampton  Row,  neither  speaking  until 
they  were  within  sight  of  Russell  Square. 

"  I  like  this  part  of  London,"  said  Milliard 
at  length,  pointing  before  him.  "  I  often  walk 
about  the  squares  late  at  night.  It's  quiet, 
and  the  trees  make  the  air  taste  fresh." 

"  I  did  the  same,  sometimes,  when  I  lived 
in  Gower  Place." 

"  Does  n't  it  strike  you  that  we  are  rather 
like  each  other  in  some  things  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes ! "  Eve  replied  frankly.  "  I  have 
noticed  that." 

"  You  have  ?  Even  in  the  lives  we  have  led 
there  's  a  sort  of  resemblance,  is  n't  there  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see  now  that  there  is." 

In  Russell  Square  they  turned  from  the 
pavement,  and  walked  along  the  edge  of  the 
enclosure. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  143 

"  I  wish  Patty  had  been  with  us,"  said  Eve 
all  at  once.  "  She  would  have  enjoyed  it  so 
thoroughly." 

"  To  be  sure  she  would.  Well,  we  can  dine 
again,  and  have  Patty  with  us.  But,  after  all, 
dining  in  London  can't  be  quite  what  it  is  in 
Paris.  I  wish  you  had  n't  gone  back  to  work 
again.  Do  you  know  what  I  should  have  pro- 
posed ?  " 

She  glanced  inquiringly  at  him. 

"  Why  should  n't  we  all  have  gone  to  Paris 
for  a  holiday?  You  and  Patty  could  have 
lived  together,  and  I  should  have  seen  you 
every  day." 

Eve  laughed. 

"  Why  not  ?  Patty  and  I  have  both  so  much 
more  money  than  we  know  what  to  do  with," 
she  answered. 

"  Money  ?      Oh,   what   of    that !      I    have 

money." 

She  laughed  again. 
10 


144  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Hilliard  was  startled. 

"You  are  talking  rather  wildly.  Leaving 
myself  out  of  the  question,  what  would  Mr. 
Dally  say  to  such  a  proposal  ?  " 

"Who's  Mr.  Dally?" 

"  Don't  you  know?  Hasn't  Patty  told  you 
that  she  is  engaged  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  No  ;  she  has  n't  spoken  of  it.  But  I 
think  I  must  have  seen  him  at  the  music-shop 
one  day.     Is  she  likely  to  marry  him  ?  " 

"  It  is  n't  the  wisest  thing  she  could  do,  but 
that  maybe  the  end  of  it.  He's  in  an  auc- 
tioneer's office,  and  may  have  a  pretty  good 
income  some  day." 

A  long  silence  followed.  They  passed  out 
of  Russell  into  Woburn  Square.  Night  was 
now  darkening  the  latest  tints  of  the  sky,  and 
the  lamps  shone  golden  against  dusty  green. 
At  one  of  the  houses  in  the  narrow  square 
festivities  were  toward ;  carriages  drew  up 
before  the  entrance,  from  which  a  red  carpet 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  145 

was  laid  down  across  the  pavement ;  within 
sounded  music. 

"  Does  this  kind  of  thing  excite  any  ambi- 
tion in  you?"  Milliard  asked,  coming  to  a 
pause  a  few  yards  away  from  the  carriage 
which  was  discharging  its  occupants. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  does.  At  all  events,  it 
makes  me  feel  discontented." 

"  I  have  settled  all  that  with  myself.  I  am 
content  to  look  oti  as  if  it  were  a  play.  Those 
people  have  an  idea  of  life  quite  different  from 
mine.  I  should  n't  enjoy  myself  among  them. 
You,  perhaps,  would." 

"  I  might,"  Eve  replied  absently.  And  she 
turned  away  to  the  other  side  of  the  square. 

"  By-the-bye,  you  have  a  friend  in  Paris.  Do 
you  ever  hear  from  her  ?  " 

"She  wrote  once  or  twice  after  she  went 
back ;  but  it  has  come  to  an  end." 

"  Still,  you  might  find  her  again,  if  you  were 
there." 


146  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Eve  delayed  her  reply  a  little,  then  spoke 
impatiently. 

"  What  is  the  use  of  setting  my  thoughts 
upon  such  things  ?  Day  after  day  I  try  to  for- 
get what  I  most  wish  for.  Talk  about  your- 
self, and  I  will  listen  with  pleasure  ;  but  never 
talk  about  me." 

"  It  *s  very  hard  to  lay  that  rule  upon  me.  I 
want  to  hear  you  speak  of  yourself.  As  yet, 
I  hardly  know  you,  and  I  never  shall  unless 
you " 

"  Why  should  you  know  me  ?  "  she  inter- 
rupted, in  a  voice  of  irritation. 

"  Only  because  I  wish  it  more  than  anything 
else.  I  have  wished  it  from  the  day  when  I 
first  saw  your  portrait." 

"  Oh !  that  wretched  portrait !  I  should  be 
sorry  if  I  thought  it  was  at  all  like  me." 

"  It  is  both  like  and  unlike,"  said  Milliard. 
*'  What  I  see  of  it  in  your  face  is  the  part  of 
you  that  most  pleases  me." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  147 

"  And  that  is  n't  my  real  self  at  all." 

"  Perhaps  not.  And  yet,  perhaps,  you  are 
piistaken.  That  is  what  I  want  to  learn. 
From  the  portrait,  I  formed  an  idea  of  you. 
When  I  met  you,  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  was 
hopelessly  astray  ;  yet  now  I  don't  feel  sure  of 
it." 

"  You  would  like  to  know  what  has  changed 
me  from  the  kind  of  girl  I  was  at  Dudley  ?  " 

"  Are  you  changed  ?  " 

"In  some  ways,  no  doubt.  You,  at  all 
events,  seem  to  think  so." 

"  I  can  wait.  You  will  tell  me  all  about  it 
some  day." 

"You  must  n't  take  that  for  granted.  We 
have  made  friends  in  a  sort  of  way,  just  be- 
cause we  happened  to  come  from  the  same 
place,  and  know  the  same  people.     But " 

He  waited. 
.  "  Well,  I  was  going  to  say  that  there  's  no 
use  in  our  thinking  much  about  each  other." 


148  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  I  don't  ask  you  to  think  of  me.  But  I 
shall  think  a  great  deal  about  you  for  long 
enough  to  come." 

"  That 's  what  I  want  to  prevent." 

"  Why  ?  " 

"  Because,  in  the  end,  it  might  be  trouble- 
some to  me." 

Milliard  kept  silence  awhile,  then  laughed. 
When  he  spoke  again,  it  was  of  things  indif- 
ferent 


CHAPTER    XI. 

LAZIEST  of  men  and  worst  of  correspond- 
ents, Robert  Narramore  had  as  yet  sent 
no  reply  to  the  letters  in  which  Milliard  ac- 
quainted him  with  his  adventures  in  London 
and  abroad  ;  but  at  the  end  of  July  he  vouch- 
safed a  perfunctory  scrawl.  "  Too  bad  not  to 
write  before,  but  I  've  been  floored  every  even- 
ing after  business  in  this  furious  heat.  You 
may  like  to  hear  that  my  uncle's  property 
did  n't  make  a  bad  show.  I  have  come  in  for 
a  round  five  thousand,  and  am  putting  it  into 
brass  bedsteads.  Sha'  n't  be  able  to  get  away 
until  the  end  of  August.  May  see  you  then." 
Milliard  mused  enviously  on  the  brass  bedstead 
business. 

On  looking  in  at  the  Camden  Town  music- 
149 


I50  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

shop  about  this  time  he  found  Patty  Ringrose 
flurried  and  vexed  by  an  event  which  disturbed 
her  prospects.  Her  uncle  the  shopkeeper,  a 
widower  of  about  fifty,  had  announced  his  in- 
tention of  marrying  again,  and,  worse  still,  of 
giving  up  his  business. 

"  It 's  the  landlady  of  the  public-house  where 
he  goes  to  play  billiards,"  said  Patty  with  scorn- 
ful mirth  ;  "  a  great  fat  woman  !  Oh  !  And 
he's  going  to  turn  publican.  And  my  aunt 
and  me  will  have  to  look  out  for  ourselves." 

This  aunt  was  the  shopkeeper's  maiden  sister 
who  had  hitherto  kept  house  for  him.  "  She 
had  been  promised  an  allowance,"  said  Patty, 
"  but  a  very  mean  one." 

"  I  don't  care  much  for  myself,"  the  girl 
went  on  ;  "  there  *s  plenty  of  shops  where  I  can 
get  an  engagement,  but  of  course  it  won't  be 
the  same  as  here,  which  has  been  home  for  me 
ever  since  I  was  a  child.  There  !  the  things 
that  men  will  do  !     I  've  told  him  plain  to  his 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  151 

face  that  he  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  himself, 
and  so  has  aunt.  And  he  is  ashamed,  what 's 
more.  Don't  you  call  it  disgusting,  such  a 
marriage  as  that  ?  " 

Hilliard  avoided  the  delicate  question. 

"I  shouldn't  wonder  if  it  hastens  another 
marriage,"  he  said  with  a  smile. 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,  but  the  chances  are 
that  marriage  won't  come  off  at  all.  I  'm  get- 
ting tired  of  men;  they're  so  selfish  and  un- 
reasonable. Of  course  I  don't  mean  you,  Mr. 
Hilliard,  but — oh  !  you  know  what  I  mean." 

"  Mr.  Dally  has  fallen  under  your  displeas- 
ure  ? 

"  Please  don't  talk  about  him.  If  he  thinks 
he  's  going  to  lay  down  the  law  to  me  he  '11 
find  his  mistake ;  and  it 's  better  he  should 
find  it  out  before  it 's  too  late." 

They  were  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of 
Patty's  amorous  uncle,  who  returned  from  his 
billiards  earlier  than  usual  to-day.     He  scowled 


152  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

at  the  stranger,  but  passed  into  the  house 
without  speaking.  Hilliard  spoke  a  hurried 
word  or  two  about  Eve  and  went  his  way. 

Something  less  than  a  week  after  this  he 
chanced  to  be  away  from  home  throughout  the 
whole  day,  and  on  returning  he  was  surprised 
to  see  a  telegram  upon  his  table.  It  came 
from  Patty  Ringrose,  and  asked  him  to  call  at 
the  shop  without  fail  between  one  and  two  that 
day.  The  hour  was  now  nearly  ten ;  the  de- 
spatch had  arrived  at  eleven  in  the  morning. 

Without  a  minute's  delay  he  ran  out  in 
search  of  a  cab,  and  was  driven  to  High 
Street.  Here,  of  course,  he  found  the  shop 
closed,  but  it  was  much  too  early  for  the 
household  to  have  retired  to  rest ;  risking  an 
indiscretion,  he  was  about  to  ring  the  house 
bell  when  the  door  opened,  and  Patty  showed 
herself. 

"  Oh,  is  ityoUy  Mr.  Hilliard  ! "  she  exclaimed, 
in   a  flurried  voice.     "  I   heard  the  cab  stop, 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  153 

and  I  thought  it  might  be— » —  You  'd  better 
come  in — quick  !  " 

He  followed  her  along  the  passage  and  into 
the  shop,  where  one  gas-jet  was  burning  low. 

"  Listen  ! "  she  resumed, whispering  hurriedly. 
"If  Eve  comes — she  '11  let  herself  in  with  the 
latchkey — you  must  stand  quiet  here.  I  shall 
turn  out  the  gas,  and  I  '11  let  you  out  after 
she  's  gone  upstairs  ?  Could  n't  you  come 
before  ?  " 

Milliard  explained,  and  begged  her  to  tell 
him  what  was  the  matter.  But  Patty  kept  him 
in  suspense. 

"  Uncle  won't  be  in  till  after  twelve,  so 
there 's  no  fear.  Aunt  has  gone  to  bed — 
she  's  upset  with  quarrelling  about  this  mar- 
riage. Mind  !  You  won't  stir  if  Eve  comes 
in.  Don't  talk  loud  ;  I  must  keep  listening 
for  the  door." 

"  But  what  is  it  ?     Where  is  Eve  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.     She  did  n't  come  home  till 


154  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

very  late  last  night,  and  I  don't  know  where 
she  was.  You  remember  what  you  asked  me 
to  promise  ?  " 

"  To  let  me  know  if  you  were  anxious  about 
her." 

"Yes,  and  I  am.  She's  in  danger.  I  only 
hope " 

"What?" 

"  I  don't  like  to  tell  you  all  I  know.  It 
does  n't  seem  right.  But  I  'm  so  afraid  for 
Eve." 

"  I  can  only  imagine  one  kind  of  danger — " 

"  Yes — of  course,  it 's  that — you  know  what  I 
mean.  But  there  's  more  than  you  could  fancy." 

"  Tell  me,  then,  what  has  alarmed  you  '^.  " 

"  When  did  you  see  her  last  ?  "  Patty  in- 
quired. 

"  More  than  a  week  ago.  Two  or  three 
days  before  I  came  here." 

"  Had  you  noticed  anything  ?" 

"  Nothing  unusual." 


EVE'S  MANSOM.  155 

"  No  more  did  I,  till  last  Monday  night. 
Then  I  saw  that  something  was  wrong. 
Hush  ! " 

She  gripped  his  arm,  and  they  listened.  But 
no  sound  could  be  heard. 

"  And  since  then,"  Patty  pursued,  with  trem- 
ulous eagerness,  "  she 's  been  very  queer.  I 
know  she  does  n't  sleep  at  night,  and  she 's 
getting  ill,  and  she  *s  had  letters  from — some- 
one she  ought  n't  to  have  anything  to  do  with." 

"  Having  told  so  much,  you  had  better  tell 
me  all,"  said  Hilliard  impatiently.  There  was 
a  cold  sweat  on  his  forehead,  and  his  heart 
b^at  painfully. 

"No.  I  can't.  I  can  only  give  you  a 
warning." 

"  But  what 's  the  use  of  that  ?  What  can  I 
do?     How  can  I  interfere?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  girl,  with  a  help- 
less  sigh.  "  She 's  in  danger,  that 's  all  I  can 
tell  you." 


156  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Patty,  don't  be  a  fool !  Out  with  it !  Who 
is  the  man  ?    Is  it  some  one  you  know  ?" 

"  I  don't  exactly  know  him.  I  've  seen 
him." 

"Is  he — a  sort  of  gentleman  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  he 's  a  gentleman.  And  you  'd 
never  think  to  look  at  him  that  he  could  db 
anything  that  was  n't  right." 

"Very  well.  What  reason  have  you  for 
supposing  that  he 's  doing  wrong  ?  " 

Patty  kept  silence.  A  band  of  rowdy  fellows 
just  then  came  shouting  along  the  street,  and 
one  of  them  crashed  up  against  the  shop  door, 
making  Patty  jump  and  scream.  Oaths  and 
foul  language  followed ;  and  then  the  uproar 
passed  away. 

"  Look  here,"  said  Milliard.  "  You  '11  drive 
me  out  of  my  senses.  Eve  is  in  love  with  this 
man,  is  she?" 

"  I  *m  afraid  so.     She  was." 

"  Before  she  went  away,  you  mean.     And, 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  157 

of  course,  her  going  away  had  something  to  do 
with  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  had." 

Hilliard  laid  his  hands  on  the  girl's  shoul- 
ders. 

"  You  've  got  to  tell  me  the  plain  truth,  and 
be  quick  about  it.  I  suppose  you  have  n't  any 
idea  of  the  torments  I  'm  suffering.  I  shall 
begin  to  think  you  're  making  a  fool  of  me, 
and  that  there  's  nothing  but — though  that 's 
bad  enough  for  me." 

"  Very  well,  I  '11  tell  you.  She  went  away 
because  it  came  out  that  the  man  was  married." 

"Oh,  that's  it?"  He  spoke  from  a  dry 
throat.     "  She  told  you  herself  ?" 

"  Yes,  not  long  after  she  came  back.  She 
said,  of  course,  she  could  have  no  more  to 
do  with  him.  She  used  to  meet  him  pretty 
often " 

"  Stay,  how  did  she  get  to  know  him  first  ?  " 

"Just  by  chance — somewhere." 


iS8  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  I  understand,"  said  Hilliard  grimly.  "  Go 
on." 

"  And  his  wife  got  someone  to  spy  on  him, 
and  they  found  out  he  was  meeting  Eve,  and 
she  jumped  out  on  them  when  they  were  walk- 
ing somewhere  together,  and  told  Eve  every- 
thing. He  was  n't  living  with  his  wife,  and 
has  n't  been  for  a  long  time." 

"  What 's  his  position  ?  " 

"  He 's  in  business,  and  seems  to  have  lots 
of  money ;  but  I  don't  exactly  know  what  it  is 
he  does." 

"You  are  afraid,  then,  that  Eve  is  being 
drawn  back  to  him  ?  " 

"  I  feel  sure  she  is — and  it 's  dreadful." 

"  What  I  should  like  to  know,"  said  Hilliard, 
harshly,  "  is  whether  she  really  cares  for  him, 
or  only  for  his  money." 

"  Oh  !  How  horrid  you  are  !  I  never  thought 
you  could  say  such  a  thing  !  " 

*'  Perhaps  you  did  n't.     All  the  same,  it 's  a 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  159 

question.  I  don't  pretend  to  understand  Eve 
Madeley,  and  I  'm  afraid  you  are  just  as  far 
from  knowing  her." 

"  I  don't  know  her  ?  Why,  what  are  you 
talking  about,  Mr.  HilHard  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  think  of  her,  then  ?  Is  she 
a  good-hearted  girl  or " 

"  Or  what  ?  Of  course  she 's  good-hearted. 
The  things  that  men  do  say  !  They  seem  to 
be  all  alike." 

"  Women  are  so  far  from  being  all  alike  that 
one  may  think  she  understands  another,  and 
be  utterly  deceived.  Eve  has  shown  her  best 
side  to  you,  no  doubt.  With  me,  she  has  n't 
taken  any  trouble  to  do  so.     And  if " 

"  Hush  I " 

This  time  the  alarm  was  justified.  A  latch- 
key rattled  at  the  house-door,  the  door  opened, 
and  in  the  same  moment  Patty  turned  out  the 
light. 

"  It  's   my   uncle,"    she   whispered,    terror- 
stricken.     "  Don't  stir." 
n 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  HEAVY  footstep  sounded  in  the  pas- 
'^*-  sage,  and  Hilliard,  to  whose  emotions 
was  now  added  a  sense  of  ludicrous  indignity, 
heard  talk  between  Patty  and  her  uncle. 

"  You  must  n't  lock  up  yet,"  said  the  girl, 
"  Eve  is  out." 

"  What 's  she  doing  ?  " 

•*  I  don't  know.  At  the  theatre  with  friends, 
I  dare  say." 

"  If  we  'd  been  staying  on  here,  that  young 
woman  would  have  had  to  look  out  for  another 
lodging.  There  's  something  I  don't  like  about 
her,  and  if  you  take  my  advice,  Patty,  you  '11 
shake  her  off.  She  '11  do  you  no  good,  my  girl." 

They  passed  together  into  the  room  behind 
the  shop,  and  though   their  voices  were  still 

i6o 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  i6i 

audible,  Hilliard  could  no  longer  follow  the 
conversation.  He  stood  motionless,  just  where 
Patty  had  left  him,  with  a  hand  resting  on  the 
top  of  the  piano,  and  it  seemed  to  him  that  at 
least  half  an  hour  went  by.  Then  a  sound 
close  by  made  him  start ;  it  was  the  snapping 
of  a  violin  string;  the  note  reverberated 
through  the  silent  shop.  But  by  this  time  the 
murmur  of  conversation  had  ceased,  and  Hill- 
iard hoped  that  Patty's  uncle  had  gone  up- 
stairs to  bed. 

As  proved  to  be  the  case.  Presently  the  door 
opened,  and  a  voice  called  to  him  in  a  whisper. 
He  obeyed  the  summons,  and,  not  without 
stumbling,  followed  Patty  into  the  open  air. 

"  She  has  n't  come  yet." 

"  What 's  the  time  ?  " 

"  Half-past  eleven.  I  shall  sit  up  for  her. 
Did  you  hear  what  my  uncle  said  ?  You 
must  n't  think  anything  of  that ;  he  's  always 
finding  fault  with  people." 


i62  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Do  you  think  she  will  come  at  all  ?"  asked 
Hilliard. 

"  Oh,  of  course  she  will ! " 

"  I  shall  wait  about.  Don't  stand  here. 
Good-night." 

"  You  won't  let  her  know  what  I  Ve  told 
you  ?  "  said  Patty,  retaining  his  hand. 

"  No,  I  won't.  If  she  does  n't  come  back  at 
all,  I  '11  see  you  to-morrow." 

He  moved  away,  and  the  door  closed. 

Many  people  were  still  passing  along  the 
street.  In  his  uncertainty  as  to  the  direction 
by  which  Eve  would  return — if  return  she  did 
— Hilliard  ventured  only  a  few. yards  away. 
He  had  waited  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
when  his  eye  distinguished  a  well-known  figure 
quickly  approaching.  He  hurried  forward,  and 
Eve  stopped  before  he  had  quite  come  up  to  her. 

"  Where  have  you  been  to-night  ?  "  were  his 
first  words,  sounding  more  roughly  than  he 
intended. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  163 

"  I  wanted  to  see  you.  I  passed  your  lodg- 
ings and  saw  there  was  no  light  in  the  win- 
dows, else  I  should  have  asked  for  you." 

She  spoke  in  so  strange  a  voice,  with  such 
show  of  agitation,  that  Milliard  stood  gazing 
at  her  till  she  again  broke  silence. 

"  Have  you  been  waiting  here  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Patty  told  me  you  were  n't  back." 

"  Why  did  you  come  ?  " 

"  Why  do  I  ever  come  to  meet  you  ?  " 

"  We  can't  talk  here,"  said  Eve,  turning 
away.     "  Come  into  a  quieter  place." 

They  walked  in  silence  to  the  foot  of 
High  Street,  and  there  turned  aside  into  the 
shadowed  solitude  of  Mornington  Crescent. 
Eve  checked  her  steps  and  said  abruptly — 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  for  something." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Now  that  it  comes  to  saying  it,  I — I  'm 
afraid.  And  yet  if  I  had  asked  you  that  even- 
ing when  we  were  at  the  restaurant " 


i64  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  Hilliard  repeated  gruffly. 

"  That  is  n't  your  usual  way  of  speaking  to 
me. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  where  you  have  been  to- 
night?" 

"  Nowhere — walking  about " 

"  Do  you  often  walk  about  the  streets  till 
midnight  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  don't." 

The  reply  surprised  him  by  its  humility. 
Her  voice  all  but  broke  on  the  words.  As 
well  as  the  dim  light  would  allow,  he  searched 
her  face,  and  it  seemed  to  him  that  her  eyes 
had  a  redness,  as  if  from   shedding   tears. 

"  You  have  n't  been  alone  ?  " 

**  No — I  've  been  with  a  friend," 

"Well,  I  have  no  claim  upon  you.  It's 
nothing  to  me  what  friends  you  go  about  with. 
What  were  you  going  to  ask  of  me  ?" 

"You  have  changed  so  all  at  once.  I 
thought  you  would  never  talk  in  this  way." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  165 

"  I  did  n't  mean  to,"  said  Milliard.  "  I  have 
lost  control  of  myself,  that 's  all.  But  you  can 
say  whatever  you  meant  to  say — ^just  as  you 
would  have  done  at  the  restaurant  I  'm  the 
same  man  I  was  then." 

Eve  moved  a  few  steps,  but  he  did  not  follow 
her,  and  she  returned.  A  policeman  passing 
threw  a  glance  at  them. 

"  It  's  no  use  asking  what  I  meant  to  ask," 
she  said,  with  her  eyes  on  the  ground.  "  You 
won't  grant  it  me." 

"  How  can  I  say  till  I  know  what  it  is  ? 
There  are  not  many  things  in  my  power  that 
I  would  n't  do  for  you." 

"  I  was  going  to  ask  for  money.** 

"  Money  ?  Why,  it  depends  what  you  are 
going  to  do  with  it.  If  it  will  do  you  any 
good,  all  the  money  I  have  is  yours,  as  you 
know  well  enough.  But  I  must  understand 
why  you  want  it." 

"  I  can't  tell  you  that.     I  don  t  want  you  to 


1 66  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

give  me  money — only  to  lend  it.  You  shall 
have  it  back  again,  though  I  can't  promise  the 
exact  time.  If  you  had  n't  changed  so,  I  should 
have  found  it  easy  enough  to  ask.  But  I  don't 
know  you  to-night ;  it  's  like  talking  to  a 
stranger.  What  has  happened  to  make  you  so 
different?" 

"  I  have  been  waiting  a  long  time  for  you, 
that 's  all,"  Milliard  replied,  endeavouring  to 
use  the  tone  of  frank  friendliness  in  which  he 
had  been  wont  to  address  her.  "  I  got  nervous 
and  irritable.  I  felt  uneasy  about  you.  It 's 
all  right  now.  Let  us  walk  on  a  little.  You 
want  money.  Well,  I  have  three  hundred 
pounds  and  more.  Call  it  mine,  call  it  yours. 
But  I  must  know  that  you  're  not  going  to  do 
anything  foolish.  Of  course,  you  don't  tell  me 
everything  ;  I  have  no  right  to  expect  it.  You 
have  n't  misled  me  ;  I  knew  from  the  first  that 
— well,  a  girl  of  your  age,  and  with  your  face, 
does  n't  live  alone  in  London  without  adven- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  167 

tures.  I  should  n't  think  of  telling  you  all 
mine,  and  I  don't  ask  to  know  yours — unless  I 
begin  to  have  a  part  in  them.  There  's  some- 
thing wrong :  of  course,  I  can  see  that.  I 
think  you  've  been  crying,  and  you  don't  shed 
tears  for  a  trifle.  Now  you  come  and  ask  me 
for  money.  If  it  will  do  you  good,  take  all  you 
want.  But  I  've  an  uncomfortable  suspicion 
that  harm  may  come  of  it." 

"  Why  not  treat  me  just  like  a  man-friend  ? 
I  'm  old  enough  to  take  care  of  myself." 

"  You  think  so,  but  I  know  better.  Wait  a 
moment.     How  much  money  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  Thirty-five  pounds." 

"  Exactly  thirty-five  ?  And  it  is  n't  for  your 
own  use  ?  " 

"  I  can't  tell  you  any  more.  I  am  in  very 
great  need  of  the  money,  and  if  you  will  lend 
it  me  I  shall  feel  very  grateful." 

"  I  want  no  gratitude,  I  want  nothing  from 
you,  Eve,  except  what  you  can't  give  me.       I 


1 68  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

can  imagine  a  man  in  my  position  giving  you 
money  in  the  hope  that  it  might  be  your  ruin  ; 
just  to  see  you  brought  down,  humiliated. 
There 's  so  much  of  the  brute  in  us  all.  But 
I  don't  feel  that  desire." 

"  Why  should  you  ? "  she  asked,  with  a 
change  to  coldness.  "  What  harm  have  I 
done  you  ?  " 

"No  harm  at  all,  and  perhaps  a  great  deal 
of  good.  I  say  that  I  wish  you  nothing  but 
well.  Suppose  a  gift  of  all  the  money  I  have 
would  smooth  your  whole  life  before  you,  and 
make  you  the  happy  wife  of  some  other  man. 
I  would  give  it  you  gladly.  That  kind  of 
thing  has  often  been  said,  when  it  meant  noth- 
ing :  it  is  n't  so  with  me.  It  has  always  been 
more  pleasure  to  me  to  give  than  to  receive. 
No  merit  of  mine  ;  I  have  it  from  my  father. 
Make  clear  to  me  that  you  are  to  benefit  by 
this  money,  and  you  shall  have  the  cheque  as 
soon  as  you  please." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  169 

"  I  shall  benefit  by  it,  because  it  will  relieve 
me  from  a  dreadful  anxiety." 

"  Or,  in  other  words,  will  relieve  someone 
else?" 

"  I  can  speak  only  of  myself.  The  kindness 
will  be  done  to  me." 

"  I  must  know  more  than  that.  Come  now, 
we  assume  that  there 's  someone  in  the  back- 
ground. A  friend  of  yours,  let  us  say.  I  can't 
imagine  why  this  friend  of  yours  wants  money, 
but  so  it  is.     You  don't  contradict  me  ?  " 

Eve  remained  mute,  her  head  bent. 

"What  about  your  friend  and  you  in  the 
future  ?  Are  you  bound  to  this  friend  in  any 
irredeemable  way  ?  " 

"  No — I  am  not,"  she  answered,  with  emotion. 

"  There 's  nothing  between  you  but — let  us 
call  it  mere  friendship." 

"  Nothing — nothing ! " 

"  So  far,  so  good."  He  looked  keenly  into 
her  face.     "  But  how  about  the  future  ?  " 


I70  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

'*  There  will  never  be  anything  more — there 
can't  be." 

"  Let  us  say  that  you  think  so  at  present. 
Perhaps  I  don't  feel  quite  so  sure  of  it.  I  say 
again,  it 's  nothing  to  me,  unless  I  get  drawn 
into  it  by  you  yourself.  I  am  not  your  guar- 
dian. If  I  tell  you  to  be  careful,  it  *s  an  imper- 
tinence. But  the  money  ;  that 's  another  affair. 
I  won't  help  you  to  misery." 

**  You  will  be  helping  me  ou^  of  misery  ! " 
Eve  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,  for  the  present.  I  will  make  a  bar- 
gain with  you." 

She  looked  at  him  with  startled  eyes. 

"  You  shall  have  your  thirty-five  pounds  on 
condition  that  you  go  to  live,  for  as  long  as  I 
choose,  in  Paris.  You  are  to  leave  London  in 
a  day  or  two.  Patty  shall  go  with  you  ;  her 
uncle  does  n't  want  her,  and  she  seems  to  have 
quarrelled  with  tHe  man  she  was  engaged  to. 
The  expenses  are  my  affair.     I  shall  go  to  Paris 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  iji 

myself,  and  be  there  while  you  are,  but  you 
need  see  no  more  of  me  than  you  like.  Those 
are  the  terms." 

"  I  can't  think  you  are  serious,"  said  Eve. 

"  Then  I  '11  explain  why  I  wish  you  to  do 
this.  I  've  thought  about  you  a  great  deal ; 
in  fact,  since  we  first  met,  my  chief  occupation 
has  been  thinking  about  you.  And  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  you  are  suffering 
from  an  illness,  the  result  of  years  of  hardship 
and  misery.  We  have  agreed,  you  remember, 
that  there  are  a  good  many  points  of  resem- 
blance between  your  life  and  mine,  and  perhaps 
between  your  character  and  mine.  Now  I 
myself,  when  I  escaped  from  Dudley,  was 
thoroughly  ill — body  and  soul.  The  only  hope 
for  me  was  a  complete  change  of  circumstances 
— to  throw  off  the  weight  of  my  past  life,  and 
learn  the  meaning  of  repose,  satisfaction,  en- 
joyment. I  prescribe  the  same  for  you.  I  am 
your  physician  ;  I  undertake  your  cure.     If  you 


172  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

refuse  to  let  me,  there 's  an  end  of  everything 
between  us  ;  I  shall  say  good-bye  to  you  to- 
night, and  to-morrow  set  off  for  some  foreign 
country." 

"  How  can  I  leave  my  work  at  a  moment's 
notice  ?  " 

"  The  devil  take  your  work — for  he  alone 
is  the  originator  of  such  accursed  toil ! " 

"  How  can  I  live  at  your  expense  ?  " 

"  That  s  a  paltry  obstacle.  Oh,  if  you  are 
too  proud,  say  so,  and  there  's  an  end  of  it 
You  know  me  well  enough  to  feel  the  absolute 
truth  of  what  I  say,  when  I  assure  you  that 
you  will  remain  just  as  independent  of  me  as 
you  ever  were.  I  shall  be  spending  my  money 
in  a  way  that  gives  me  pleasure ;  the  matter 
will  never  appear  to  me  in  any  other  light. 
Why,  call  it  an  additional  loan,  if  it  will  give 
any  satisfaction  to  you.  You  are  to  pay  me 
back  some  time.  Here  in  London  you  perish  ; 
across  the  Channel  there,  health  of  body  and 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  173 

mind  is  awaiting  you  ;  and  are  we  to  talk  about 
money  ?  I  shall  begin  to  swear  like  a  trooper  ; 
the  thing  is  too  preposterous." 

Eve  said  nothing :  she  stood  half  turned 
from  him. 

"  Of  course,"  he  pursued,  "  you  may  object 
to  leave  London.  Perhaps  the  sacrifice  is  too 
great.  In  that  case,  I  should  only  do  right 
if  I  carried  you  off  by  main  force  ;  but  I  'm 
afraid  it  can't  be  ;  I  must  leave  you  to  perish." 

"  I  am  quite  willing  to  go  away,"  said  Eve 
in  a  low  voice.  "  But  the  shame  of  it — to  be 
supported  by  you." 

"  Why,  you  don't  hate  me  ? " 

"  You  know  I  do  not." 

"  You  even  have  a  certain  liking  for  me.  I 
amuse  you ;  you  think  me  an  odd  sort  of  fel- 
low, perhaps  with  more  good  than  bad  in  me. 
At  all  events,  you  can  trust  me  ?  " 

*'  I  can  trust  you  perfectly." 

"  And  it  ain't  as  if  I  wished  you  to  go  alone. 


174  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Patty  will  be  off  her  head  with  delight  when 
tho  thing  is  proposed  to  her." 

"  But  how  can  I  explain  to  her?" 

"  Don't  attempt  to.  Leave  her  curiosity  a 
good  hard  nut  to  crack.  Simply  say  you  are 
off  to  Paris,  and  that  if  she  '11  go  with  you,  you 
will  bear  all  her  expenses." 

"  It  's  so  difficult  to  believe  that  you  are  in 
earnest." 

"  You  must  somehow  bring  yourself  to  be- 
lieve it.  There  will  be  a  cheque  ready  for  you 
to-morrow  morning,  to  take  or  refuse.  If  you 
take  it,  you  are  bound  in  honour  to  leave  Eng- 
land not  later  than — we  '11  say  Thursday. 
That  you  are  to  be  trusted,  I  believe,  just  as 
firmly  as  you  believe  it  of  me." 

"  I  can't  decide  to-night." 

"  I  can  give  you  only  till  to-morrow  morning. 
If  I  don't  hear  from  you  by  midday,  I  am  gone." 

"  You  shall  hear  from  me — one  way  or  the 
other." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  175 

"Then  don't  wait  here  any  longer.  It's 
after  midnight,  and  Patty  will  be  alarmed  about 
you.  No,  we  won't  shake  hands  ;  not  that  till 
we  strike  a  bargain." 

Eve  seemed  about  to  walk  away,  but  she 
hesitated  and  turned  again. 

"  I  will  do  as  you  wish — I  will  go." 
"  Excellent  !    Then  speak  of  it  to  Patty  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  tell  me  what  she  says 
when  we  meet  to-morrow — where  and  when 
you  like." 

"In  this  same  place,  at  nine  o'clock." 
"  So  be  it.     I  will  bring  the  cheque." 
"  But  I  must  be  able  to  cash  it  at  once." 
"  So  you  can.     It  will  be  on  a  London  bank. 
I  '11  get  the  cash  myself  if  you  like." 

Then  they  shook  hands  and  went  in  oppo- 
site directions. 


T2 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ON  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  just  after 
he  had  lit  his  lamp,  Milliard's  attention 
was  drawn  by  a  sound  as  of  someone  tapping 
at  the  window.  He  stood  to  listen,  and  the 
sound  was  repeated — an  unmistakable  tap  of 
fingers  on  the  glass.  In  a  moment  he  was  out 
in  the  street,  where  he  discovered  Patty  Ring- 
rose. 

"  Why  did  n't  you  come  to  see  me  ? "  she 
asked  excitedly. 

"  I  was  afraid  she  might  be  there.  Did  she 
go  to  business,  as  usual  ?  " 

"  Yes.     At  least  I   suppose  so.     She  only 

got  home  at  the  usual  time.      I  've  left  her 

there  :  I  was  bound  to  see  you.     Do  you  know 

what  she  told  me  last  night  when  she  came 

in?" 

176 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  1 7 7 

"  I  dare  say  I  could  guess." 

Hilliard  began  to  walk  down  the  street. 
Patty,  keeping  close  at  his  side,  regarded  him 
with  glances  of  wonder. 

"Is  it  true  that  we're  going  to  Paris?  I 
could  n't  make  out  whether  she  meant  it,  and 
this  morning  I  could  n't  get  a  word  from  her." 

"  Are  you  willing  to  go  with  her?" 

"  And  have  all  my  expenses  paid  ?  " 

"  Of  course." 

"  I  should  think  I  am  !  But  I  dare  n't  let 
my  uncle  and  aunt  know  ;  there  'd  be  no  end 
of  bother.  I  shall  have  to  make  up  some  sort 
of  tale  to  satisfy  my  aunt,  and  get  my  things 
sent  to  the  station  while  uncle  's  playing  bil- 
liards.    How  long  is  it  for  ?  " 

"  Impossible  to  say.  Three  months — half  a 
year — I  don't  know.    What  about  Mr.  Dally  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  've  done  with  him  !  " 

"And  you  are  perfectly  sure  that  you  can 
get  employment  whenever  you  need  it  ?  " 


178  ,       EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Quite  sure  :  no  need  to  trouble  about  that 
I  'm  very  good  friends  with  aunt,  and  she  *11 
take  me  in  for  as  long  as  I  want  when  I  come 
back.  But  it 's  easy  enough  for  anybody  like 
me  to  get  a  place.  I  've  had  two  or  three  of- 
fers the  last  half-year,  from  good  shops  where 
they  were  losing  their  young  ladies.  We  're 
always  getting  married,  in  our  business,  and 
places  have  to  be  filled  up." 

"  That  settles  it,  then." 

"  But  I  want  to  know — I  can't  make  it  out — 
Eve  won't  tell  me  how  she  's  managing  to  go. 
hx^you  going  to  pay  for  her  ?  " 

"  We  won't  talk  of  that,  Patty.  She 's 
going  ;  that  *s  enough." 

"  You  persuaded  her,  last  night  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  persuaded  her.  And  I  am  to  hear 
by  the  first  post  in  the  morning  whether  she 
will  go  to-morrow  or  Thursday.  She  *11  ar- 
range things  with  you  to-night,  I  should 
think." 


• 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  179 

"  It  did  n't  look  like  it.  She  's  shut  herself 
in  her  room." 

"  I  can  understand  that.  She  is  ill.  That 's 
why  I  'm  getting  her  away  from  London. 
Wait  till  we  've  been  in  Paris  a  few  weeks,  and 
you  '11  see  how  she  changes.  At  present  she 
is  downright  ill — ill  enough  to  go  to  bed  and 
be  nursed,  if  that  would  do  any  goo4.  It 's 
your  part  to  look  after  her.  I  don't  want  you 
to  be  her  servant." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mind  doing  anything  for  her." 

"  No,  because  you  are  a  very  good  sort  of 
girl.  You  '11  live  at  a  hotel,  and  what  you 
have  to  do  is  to  make  her  enjoy  herself.  I 
should  n't  wonder  if  you  find  it  difficult  at  first, 
but  we  shall  get  her  round  before  long." 

"  I  never  thought  there  was  anything  the 
matter  with  her." 

"  Perhaps  not,  but  I  understand  her  better. 
Of  course  you  won't  say  a  word  of  this  to  her. 
You  take  it  as  a  holiday — as  good  fun.     No 


1 8o  EVE 'S  RANSOM. 

*  doubt  I  shall  be  able  to  have  a  few  words  in 
private  with  you  now  and  then.  But  at  other 
times  we  must  talk  as  if  nothing  special  had 
passed  between  us." 

Patty  mused.  The  lightness  of  her  step  told 
in  what  a  spirit  of  gaiety  she  looked  forward 
to  the  expedition. 

"  Do  you  think,"  she  asked  presently,  "  that 
it  '11  aft  come  to  an  end — what  I  told  you 
of?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  so." 

"  You  did  n't  let  her  know  that;  I  'd  been 
talking " 

"  Of  course  not.  And,  as  I  don't  want  her 
to  know  that  you  've  seen  me  to-night,  you  had 
better  stay  no  longer.  She's  sure  to  have 
something  to  tell  you  to-night  or  to-morrow 
morning.  Get  your  packing  done,  and  be  ready 
at  any  moment.  When  I  hear  from  Eve  in 
the  morning,  I  shall  send  her  a  telegram.  Most 
likely  we  sha'n't  see  each  other  again  until  we 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  i8i 

meet  at  Charing  Cross.  I  hope  it  may  be  to- 
morrow ;  but  Thursday  is  the  latest." 

So  Patty  took  her  departure,  tripping  briskly 
homeward.  As  for  Hilliard,  he  returned  to 
his  sitting-room,  and  was  busy  for  some  time 
with  the  pencilling  of  computations  in  English 
and  French  money.  Towards  midnight,  he 
walked  as  far  as  High  Street,  and  looked  at 
the  windows  above  the  music-shop.  All  was 
dark. 

He  rose  very  early  next  morning,  and  as 
post-time  drew  near  he  walked  about  the  street 
in  agonies  of  suspense.  He  watched  the  let- 
ter-carrier from  house  to  house,  followed  him 
up,  and  saw  him  pass  the  number  at  which  he 
felt  assured  that  he  would  deliver  a  letter.  In 
frenzy  of  disappointment  a  fierce  oath  burst 
from  his  lips. 

"  That  *s  what  comes  of  trusting  a  woman  ! 
— she  is  going  to  cheat  me.  She  has  gained 
her  end,  and  will  put  me  off  with  excuses." 


1 82  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

But  perhaps  a  telegram  would  come.  He 
made  a  pretence  of  breakfasting,  and  paced 
his  room  for  an  hour  like  a  caged  animal. 
When  the  monotony  of  circulating  movement 
had  all  but  stupefied  him,  he  was  awakened  by 
a  double  postman's  knock  at  the  front  door, 
the  signal  that  announces  a  telegram. 

Again  from  Patty,  and  again  a  request  that 
he  would  come  to  the  shop  at  mid-day. 

"Just  as  I  foresaw  —  excuses — postpone- 
ment. What  woman  ever  had  the  sense  of 
honour ! " 

To  get  through  the  morning  he  drank — an 
occupation  suggested  by  the  heat  of  the  day, 
which  blazed  cloudless.  The  liquor  did  not 
cheer  him,  but  inspired  a  sullen  courage,  a 
reckless  resolve.  And  in  this  frame  of  mind 
he  presented  himself  before  Patty  Ringrose. 

"  She  can't  go  to-day,"  said  Patty,  with  an 
air  of  concern.  "  You  were  quite  right — she 
is  really  ill." 


EVE'S  JtANSOM.  183 

"  Has  she  gone  out  ?  " 

"  No,  she  's  upstairs,  lying  on  the  bed.  She 
says  she  has  a  dreadful  headache,  and  if  you 
saw  her  you  'd  believe  it.  She  looks  shock- 
ing. It's  the  second  night  she  has  n't  closed 
her  eyes." 

A  savage  jealousy  was  burning  Hilliard's 
vitals.  He  had  tried  to  make  light  of  the 
connection  between  Eve  and  that  unknown 
man,  even  after  her  extraordinary  request  for 
money,  which  all  but  confessedly  she  wanted 
on  his  account.  He  had  blurred  the  signifi- 
cance of  such  a  situation,  persuading  himself 
that  neither  was  Eve  capable  of  a  great 
passion,  nor  the  man  he  had  seen  able  to  in- 
spire one.  Now  he  rushed  to  the  conviction 
that  Eve  had  fooled  him  with  a  falsehood. 

"  Tell  her  this."  He  glared  at  Patty  with 
eyes  which  made  the  girl  shrink  in  alarm. 
"If  she  isn't  at  Charing  Cross  Station  by  a 
quarter  to  eleven  to-morrow,  there  's  an  end 


i84  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

of  it.  I  shall  be  there,  and  shall  go  on  with- 
out her.     It 's  her  only  chance." 

''  But  if  she  really  cant — " 

"Then  it's  her  misfortune — she  must  suffer 
for  it.  She  goes  to-morrow  or  not  at  all. 
Can  you  make  her  understand  that  ?  " 

"  I  '11  tell  her." 

"  Listen,  Patty.  If  you  bring  her  safe  to 
the  station  to-morrow  you  shall  have  a  ten- 
pound  note,  to  buy  what  you  like  in  Paris." 

The  girl  reddened,  half  in  delight,  half  in 
shame. 

"  I  don't  want  it — she  shall  come " 

"  Very  well ;  good-bye  till  to-morrow,  or  for 
good."^ 

"  No,  no  ;  she  shall  come." 

He  was  drenched  in  perspiration,  yet  walked 
for  a  mile  or  two  at  his  topmost  speed.  Then 
a  consuming  thirst  drove  him  into  the  nearest 
place  where  drink  was  sold.  At  six  o'clock 
he  remembered  that  he   had  not  eaten  since 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  1 85 

breakfast ;  he  dined  extravagantly,  and  after- 
wards fell  asleep  in  the  smoking-room  of  the 
restaurant.  A  waiter  with  difficulty  aroused 
him,  and  persuaded  him  to  try  the  effect  of  the 
evening  air.  An  hour  later  he  sank  in  exhaus- 
tion on  one  of  the  benches  near  the  river,  and 
there  slept  profoundly  until  stirred  by  a  police- 
man. 

"  What 's  the  time  ?  "  was  his  inquiry,  as  he 
looked  up  at  the  starry  sky. 

He  felt  for  his  watch,  but  no  watch  was  dis- 
coverable. Together  with  the  gold  chain  it 
had  disappeared. 

"  Damnation  !  someone  has  robbed  me." 

The  policeman  was  sympathetic,  but  re- 
proachful. 

"  Why  do  you  go  to  sleep  on  the  Embank- 
ment at  this  time  of  night  ?     Lost  any  money  ?  " 

Yes,  his  money  too  had  flown  ;  luckily,  only 
a  small  sum.  It  was  for  the  loss  of  his  watch 
and  chain  that  he  grieved  ;  they  had  been  worn 


1 86  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

for  years  by  his  father,  and  on  that  account 
had  a  far  higher  value  for  him  than  was  repre- 
sented by  their  mere  cost. 

As  a  matter  of  form,  he  supplied  the  police 
with  information  concerning  the  theft.  Of  re- 
covery there  could  be  little  hope. 

Thoroughly  awakened  and  sober,  he  walked 
across  London  to  Gower  Place  arriving  in  the 
light  of  dawn.  Too  spiritless  to  take  off  his 
clothing,  he  lay  upon  the  bed,  and  through  the 
open  window  watched  a  great  cloud  that  grew 
rosy  above  the  opposite  houses. 

Would  Eve  be  at  the  place  of  meeting  to- 
day? It  seemed  to  him  totally  indifferent 
whether  she  came  or  not ;  nay,  he  all  but  hoped' 
that  she  would  not.  He  had  been  guilty  of 
prodigious  folly.  The  girl  belonged  to  another 
man  ;  and  even  had  it  not  been  so,  what  was 
the  use  of  flinging  away  his  money  at  this  rate  ? 
Did  he  look  for  any  reward  correspondent  to 
the  sacrifice  ?     She  would  never  love  him,  and 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  187 

it  was  not  in  his  power  to  complete  the  work 
he  had  begun,  by  freeing  her  completely  from 
harsh  circumstances,  setting  her  in  a  path  of 
secure  and  pleasant  life. 

But  she  would  not  come,  and  so  much  the 
better.  With  only  himself  to  provide  for  he 
had  still  money  enough  to  travel  far.  He 
would  see  something  of  the  great  world,  and 
leave  his  future  to  destiny. 

He  dozed  for  an  hour  or  two. 

Whilst  he  was  at  breakfast  a  letter  arrived 
for  him.  He  did  not  know  the  handwriting 
on  the  envelope,  but  it  must  be  Eve's.  Yes. 
She  wrote  a  couple  of  lines  :  "  I  will  be  at  the 
station  to-morrow  at  a  quarter  to  eleven. — 
E.  M." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ONE  travelling  bag  was  all  he  carried. 
Some  purchases  that  he  had  made  in 
London — especially  the  great  work  on  French 
cathedrals — were  already  despatched  to  Bir- 
mingham, to  lie  in  the  care  of  Robert  Narra- 
more. 

He  reached  Charing  Cross  half  an  hour  be- 
fore train-time,  and  waited  at  the  entrance. 
Several  cabs  that  drove  up  stirred  his  expecta- 
tion only  to  disappoint  him.  He  was  again 
in  an  anguish  of  fear  lest  Eve  should  not  come. 
A  cab  arrived,  with  two  boxes  of  modest  ap- 
pearance. He  stepped  forward  and  saw  the 
girls'  faces. 

Between  him  and  Eve  not  a  word  passed. 
They  avoided  each  other's  look.  Patty,  excited 
and  confused,  shook  hands  with  him. 

i88 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  189 

"  Go  on  to  the  platform,"  he  said.  "  I  '11  see 
after  everything.     This  is  all  the  luggage  ?" 

"  Yes.  One  box  is  mine,  and  one  Eve's.  I 
had  to  face  it  out  with  the  people  at  home," 
she  added,  between  laughing  and  crying. 
"  They  think  I  'm  going  to  the  seaside,  to 
stay  with  Eve  till  she  gets  better.  I  never 
told  so  many  fibs  in  my  life.  Uncle  stormed 
at  me,  but  I  don't  care." 

"  All  right ;  go  on  to  the  platform." 

Eve  was  already  walking  in  that  direction. 
Undeniably  she  looked  ill ;  her  step  was  lan- 
guid ;  she  did  not  raise  her  eyes.  Milliard,  when 
he  had  taken  tickets  and  booked  the  luggage 
through  to  Paris,  approached  his  travelling 
companions.      Seeing  him.  Eve  turned  away. 

"  I  shall  go  in  a  smoking  compartment,"  he 
said  to  Patty.  "  You  had  better  take  your 
tickets." 

"  But  when  shall  we  see  you  again  ?  " 

"  Oh,  at  Dover,  of  course." 


ipo  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Will  it  be  rough,  do  you  think  ?  I  do  wish 
Eve  would  talk.  I  can't  get  a  word  out  of  her. 
It  makes  it  all  so  miserable,  when  we  might  be 
enjoying  ourselves." 

"  Don't  trouble  :  leave  her  to  herself,  I  '11 
get  you  some  papers." 

On  returning  from  the  bookstall,  he  slipped 
loose  silver  into  Patty's  hands. 

"  Use  that  if  you  want  anything  on  the  jour- 
ney.    And — I  haven't  forgot  my  promise." 

"  Nonsense ! " 

"  Go  and  take  your  places  now  :  there 's  only 
ten  minutes  to  wait." 

He  watched  them  as  they  passed  the  barrier. 
Neither  of  the  girls  was  dressed  very  suitably 
for  travelling ;  but  Eve's  costume  resembled 
that  of  a  lady,  while  Patty's  might  suggest  that 
she  was  a  lady's-maid.  As  if  to  confirm  this 
distinction,  Patty  had  burdened  herself  with 
several  small  articles,  whereas  her  friend  carried 
only   a  sunshade.     They  disappeared  among 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  191 

people  upon  the  platform.  In  a  few  minutes 
Hilliard  followed,  glanced  along  the  carriages 
till  he  saw  where  the  girls  were  seated,  and 
took  his  own  place.  He  wore  a  suit  which 
had  been  new  on  his  first  arrival  in  London, 
good  enough  in  quality  and  cut  to  give  his 
features  the  full  value  of  their  intelligence  ;  a 
brown  felt  hat,  a  russet  necktie,  a  white  flannel 
shirt.  Finding  himself  with  a  talkative  neigh- 
bour in  the  carriage,  he  chatted  freely.  As 
soon  as  the  train  had  started,  he  lit  his  pipe 
and  tasted  the  tobacco  with  more  relish  than 
for  a  long  time. 

On  board  the  steamer  Eve  kept  below  from 
first  to  last.  Patty  walked  the  deck  with  Hill- 
iard, and  vastly  to  her  astonishment,  achieved 
the  voyage  without  serious  discomfort.  Hilliard 
himself,  with  the  sea  wind  in  his  nostrils,  re- 
covered that  temper  of  buoyant  satisfaction 
which  had  accompanied  his  first  escape  from 

London.     He  despised  the   weak  misgivings 
13 


192  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

and  sordid  calculations  of  yesterday.  Here  he 
was,  on  a  Channel  steamer,  bearing  away  from 
disgrace  and  wretchedness  the  woman  whom 
his  heart  desired.  Wild  as  the  project  had 
seemed  to  him  when  first  he  conceived  it,  he 
had  put  it  into  execution.  The  moment  was 
worth  living  for.  Whatever  the  future  might 
keep  in  store  for  him  of  dreary,  toilsome,  col- 
ourless existence,  the  retrospect  would  always 
show  him  this  patch  of  purple — a  memory 
precious  beyond  all  the  possible  results  of 
prudence  and  narrow  self-regard. 

The  little  she-Cockney  by  his  side  entertained 
him  with  the  flow  of  her  chatter ;  it  had  the 
advantage  of  making  him  feel  a  travelled  man. 

"  I  did  n't  cross  this  way  when  I  came  before,'^ 
he  explained  to  her.  "  From  Newhaven  it 's 
a  much  longer  voyage." 

"  You  like  the  sea,  then  ?  " 

"  I  chose  it  because  it  was  cheaper — that  *s 
all." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  193 

"  Yet  you  *re  so  extravagant  now,"  remarked 
Patty,  with  eyes  that  confessed  admiration  of 
this  quaHty. 

"  Oh,  because  I  am  rich,"  he  answered  gaily. 
"  Money  is  nothing  to  me." 

"  Are  you  really  rich  ?  Eve  said  you  were  n't." 

"  Did  she  ?  " 

"  I  don't  mean  she  said  it  in  a  disagreeable 
way.  It  was  last  night.  She  thought  you 
were  wasting  your  money  upon  us." 

"  If  I  choose  to  waste  it,  why  not?  Isn't 
there  a  pleasure  in  doing  as  you  like  ?  " 

"  Oh,  of  course  there  is,"  Patty  assented. 
"I  only  wish  I  had  the  chance.  But  it's 
awfully  jolly,  this  !  Who  'd  have  thought,  a 
week  ago,  that  I  should  be  going  to  Paris  ?  I 
have  a  feeling  all  the  time  that  I  shall  wake 
up  and  find  I  've  been  dreaming." 

"  Suppose  you  go  down  and  see  whether  Eve 
wants  anything  ?  You  need  n't  say  I  sent  you." 

From  Calais  to  Paris  he  again  travelled  apart 


194  EVE'S  RANSOM, 

from  the  girls.  Fatigue  overcame  him,  and 
for  the  last  hour  or  two  he  slept,  with  the 
result  that,  on  alighting  at  the  Gare  du  Nord, 
he  experienced  a  decided  failure  of  spirits. 
Happily,  there  was  nothing  before  him  but  to 
carry  out  a  plan  already  elaborated.  With 
the  aid  of  his  guide-book  he  had  selected  an 
hotel  which  seemed  suitable  for  the  girls,  one 
where  English  was  spoken,  and  thither  he 
drove  with  them  from  the  station.  The  choice 
of  their  rooms,  and  the  settlement  of  details 
took  only  a  few  minutes  ;  then,  for  almost  the 
first  time  since  leaving  Charing  Cross,  he 
spoke  to  Eve. 

"  Patty  will  do  everything  she  can  for  you," 
he  said ;  "  I  shall  be  not  very  far  away,  and 
you  can  always  send  me  a  message  if  you  wish. 
To-morrow  morning  I  shall  come  at  about  ten 
to  ask  how  you  are — nothing  more  than  that 
— unless  you  care  to  go  anywhere." 

The  only  reply  was  "  Thank  you,"  in  aweary 


EVE'S  RANSOM,  1 95 

tone.  And  so,  having  taken  his  leave  he  set 
forth  to  discover  a  considerably  less  expensive 
lodging  for  himself.  In  this,  after  his  earlier 
acquaintance  with  Paris,  he  had  no  difficulty  ; 
by  half-past  eight  his  business  was  done,  and 
he  sat  down  to  dinner  at  a  cheap  restaurant. 
A  headache  spoilt  his  enjoyment  of  the  meal. 
After  a  brief  ramble  about  the  streets,  he  went 
home  and  got  into  a  bed  which  was  rather  too 
short  for  him,  but  otherwise  promised  sufficient 
comfort. 

The  first  thing  that  came  into  his  mind  when 
he  awoke  next  morning  was  that  he  no  longer 
possessed  a  watch  ;  the  loss  cast  a  gloom  upon 
him.  But  he  had  slept  well,  and  a  flood  of 
sunshine  that  streamed  over  his  scantily  car- 
peted floor,  together  with  gladly  remembered 
sounds  from  the  street,  soon  put  him  into 
an  excellent  humour.  He  sprang  up,  partly 
dressed  himself,  and  unhasped  the  window. 
The  smell  of  Paris  had  become  associated  in 


196  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

his  mind  with  thoughts  of  liberty  ;  a  grotesque 
dance  about  the  bed-room  expressed  his  joy. 

As  he  anticipated,  Patty  alone  received  him 
when  he  called  upon  the  girls.  She  reported 
that  Eve  felt  unable  to  rise. 

"  What  do  you  think  about  her  ?"  he  asked. 
"  Nothing  serious,  is  it  ?  " 

"  She  can't  get  rid  of  her  headache." 

"  Let  her  rest  as  long  as  she  likes.  Are  you 
comfortable  here  ?  " 

Patty  was  in  ecstasies  with  everything,  and 
chattered  on  breathlessly.  She  wished  to  go 
out ;  Eve  had  no  need  of  her — indeed  had  told 
her  that  above  all  she  wished  to  be  left  alone. 

"Get  ready,  then,"  said  Hilliard,  "  and  we  '11 
have  an  hour  or  two." 

They  walked  to  the  Madeleine  and  rode 
thence  on  the  top  of  a  tram-car  to  the  Bastille. 
By  this  time  Patty  had  come  to  regard  her 
strange  companion  in  a  sort  of  brotherly  light  ; 
no  restraint  whatever  appeared  in  her  conver- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  197 

sation  with  him.  Eve,  she  told  him,  had  talked 
French  with  the  chambermaid. 

"  And  I  fancy  it  was  something  she  did  n't 
want  me  to  understand." 

"  Why  should  you  think  so  ?" 

"  Oh,  something  in  the  way  the  girl  looked 
at  me." 

"  No,  no  ;  you  were  mistaken.  She  only 
wanted  to  show  that  she  knew  some  French." 

But  Milliard  wondered  whether  Patty  could 
be  right.  Was  it  not  possible  that  Eve  had 
gratified  her  vanity  by  representing  her  friend 
as  a  servant — a  lady's-maid  ?  Yet  why  should 
he  attribute  such  a  fault  to  her  ?  It  was  an 
odd  thing  that  he  constantly  regarded  Eve  in 
the  least  favourable  light,  giving  weight  to  all 
the  ill  he  conjectured  in  her,  and  minimising 
those  features  of  her  character  which,  at  the 
beginning,  he  had  been  prepared  to  observe 
with  sympathy  and  admiration.  For  a  man  in 
love  his  reflections  followed  a  very  unwonted 


198  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

course.  And,  indeed,  he  had  never  regarded 
his  love  as  of  very  high  or  pure  quality  ;  it  was 
something  that  possessed  him  and  constrained 
him — by  no  means  a  source  of  elevating  emo- 
tion. 

"  Do  you  like  Eve  ? "  he  asked  abruptly, 
disregarding  some  trivial  question  Patty  had 
put  to  him. 

"  Like  her  ?     Of  course  I  do." 

"  And  why  do  you  like  her  ?  " 

"Why? — ah — I  don't  know.    Because  I  do." 

And  she  laughed  foolishly. 

"  Does  Eve  like  you  ?  "  Hilliard  continued. 

"  I  think  she  does.  Else  I  don't  see  why 
she  kept  up  with  me." 

"  Has  she  ever  done  you  any  kindness  ?" 

"I  'm  sure  I  don't  know.  Nothing  par- 
ticular. She  never  gave  anything,  if  you  mean 
that.  But  she  has  paid  for  me  at  theatres  and 
so  on." 

Hilliard  quitted  the  subject. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  199 

"  If  you  like  to  go  out  alone,"  he  told  L^r 
before  they  parted,  "  there  's  no  reason  why 
you  should  n't — just  as  you  do  in  London. 
Remember  the  way  back,  that  's  all,  and  don't 
be  out  late.  And  you  '11  want  some  French 
money." 

"  But  I  don't  understand  it,  and  how  can  I 
buy  anything  when  I  can't  speak  a  word  ?  " 

"  All  the  same,  take  that  and  keep  it  till  you 
are  able  to  make  use  of  it.  It  's  what  I  prom- 
ised you." 

Patty  drew  back  her  hand,  but  her  objec- 
tions were  not  difficult  to  overcome. 

"I  dare  say,"  Milliard  continued,  "Eve 
does  n't  understand  the  money  much  better 
than  you  do.  But  she  '11  soon  be  well  enough 
to  talk,  and  then  I  shall  explain  everything  to 
her.  On  this  piece  of  paper  is  my  address ; 
please  let  Eve  have  it.  I  shall  call  to-morrow 
morning  again." 

He  did  so,  and  this  time  found  Eve,  as  well 


200  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

as  her  companion,  ready  to  go  out.  No  remark 
or  inquiry  concerning  her  health  passed  his 
lips  ;  he  saw  that  she  was  recovering  from 
the  crisis  she  had  passed  through,  whatever  its 
real  nature.  Eve  shook  hands  with  him,  and 
smiled,  though  as  if  discharging  an  obHgation. 

"Can  you  spare  time  to  show  us  some- 
thing of  Paris  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  am  your  official  guide.  Make  use  of  me 
whenever  it  pleases  you." 

"  I  don't  feel  able  to  go  very  far.  Is  n't  there 
some  place  where  we  could  sit  down  in  the 
open  air  ?  " 

A  carriage  was  summoned,  and  they  drove 
to  the  Fields  Elysian.  Eve  benefited  by  the 
morning  thus  spent.  She  left  to  Patty  most 
of  the  conversation,  but  occasionally  made 
inquiries,  and  began  to  regard  things  with  a 
healthy  interest.  The  next  day  they  all  visited 
the  Louvre,  for  a  light  rain  was  falling,  and 
here  Hilliard  found  an  opportunity  of  private 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  201 

talk  with  Eve  ;  they  sat  together  whilst  Pa'  .y, 
who  cared  little  for  pictures,  looked  out  of  a 
window  at  the  Seine. 

"  Do  you  like  the  hotel  I  chose  ?"  he  began. 
"  Everything  is  very  nice." 
"  And  you  are  not  sorry  to  be  here  ?" 
•*  Not  in  oneway.     In  another  I  can't  under- 
stand how  I  come  to  be  here  at  all." 
"  Your  physician  has  ordered  it" 
"  Yes — so  I  suppose  it 's  all  right." 
"  There  's  one  thing  I  'm  obliged  to  speak 
of.     Do  you  understand  French  money  ?  " 

Eve  averted  her  face,  and  spoke  after  a 
slight  delay. 

"  I  can  easily  learn." 

"  Yes.  You  shall  take  this  Paris  guide  home 
with  you.  You  '11  find  all  information  of  that 
sort  in  it.  And  I  shall  give  you  an  envelope 
containing  money — just  for  your  private  use. 
You  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  charges  at 
the  hotel." 


202  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"I  've  brought  it  on  myself  ;  but  I  feel  more 
ashamed  than  I  can  tell  you." 

"  If  you  tried  to  tell  me  I  should  n't  listen. 
What  you  have  to  do  now  is  to  get  well.  Very 
soon  you  and  Patty  will  be  able  to  find  your 
way  about  together;  then  I  shall  only  come 
with  you  when  you  choose  to  invite  me.  You 
have  my  address." 

He  rose  and  broke  off  the  dialogue. 

For  a  week  or  more  Eve's  behaviour  in  his 
company  underwent  little  change.  In  health 
she  decidedly  improved,  but  Hilliard  always 
found  her  reserved,  coldly  amicable,  with  an 
occasional  suggestion  of  forced  humility  which 
he  much  disliked.  From  Patty  he  learnt  that 
she  went  about  a  good  deal  and  seemed  to  en- 
joy herself. 

"  We  don't  always  go  together,"  said  the 
girl.  "  Yesterday  and  the  day  before  Eve  was 
away  by  herself  all  the  afternoon.  Of  course 
she  can  get  on  all  right  with  her  French.  She 
takes  to  Paris  as  if  she  'd  lived  here  for  years." 


E  VE  'S  RANSOm.  203 

On  the  day  after,  Hilliard  received  a  post- 
card in  which  Eve  asked  him  to  be  in  a  cert. .in 
room  of  the  Louvre  at  twelve  o'clock.  He 
kept  the  appointment,  and  found  Eve  awaiting 
him  alone. 

"  I  wanted  to  ask  whether  you  would  mind 
if  we  left  the  hotel  and  went  to  live  at  another 
place  ?  " 

He  heard  her  with  surprise. 

"  You  are  not  comfortable  ?  " 

"  Quite.  But  I  have  been  to  see  my  friend 
Mdlle.  Roche — you  remember.  And  she  has 
shown  me  how  we  can  live  very  comfortably 
at  a  quarter  of  what  it  costs  now,  in  the  same 
house  where  she  has  a  room.  I  should  like  to 
change,  if  you'll  let  me." 

"  Pooh  !  You  're  not  to  think  of  the  cost " 

"  Whether  I  am  to  or  not,  I  do,  and  can't 
help  myself.  I  know  the  hotel  is  fearfully  ex- 
pensive, and  I  shall  like  the  other  place  much 
better.  Miss  Roche  is  a  very  nice  girl,  and 
she  was  glad  to  see  me  ;  and  if  I  *m  near  her. 


204  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

I  shall  get  all  sorts  of  advantages — in  French, 
and  so  on." 

Hilliard  wondered  what  accounts  of  herself 
Eve  had  rendered  to  the  Parisienne,  but  he  did 
not  venture  to  ask. 

"  Will  Patty  like  it  as  well  ?  " 

"Just  as  well.  Miss  Roche  speaks  English, 
you  know,  and  they'll  get  on  very  well  to- 
gether." 

"  Where  is  the  place  ?" 

"  Rather  far  off — towards  the  Jardin  des 
Plantes.  But  I  don't  think  that  would  matter, 
would  it?" 

"  I  leave  it  entirely  to  you." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  answered,  with  that  into- 
nation he  did  not  like.  "  Of  course,  if  you 
would  like  to  meet  Miss  Roche,  you  can." 

"We'll  think  about  it.  It's  enough  that 
she  *s  an  old  friend  of  yours." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

WHEN  this  change  had  been  made  Eve 
seemed  to  throw  off  a  burden.  She 
met  HilHard  with  something  like  the  ease  of 
manner,  the  frank  friendliness,  which  marked 
her  best  moods  in  their  earlier  intercourse. 
At  a  restaurant  dinner,  to  which  he  persuaded 
her  in  company  with  Patty,  she  was  ready  in 
cheerful  talk,  and  an  expedition  to  Versailles, 
some  days  after,  showed  her  radiant  with  the 
joy  of  sunshine  and  movement.  Hilliard  could 
not  but  wonder  at  the  success  of  his  prescrip- 
tion. 

He  did  not  visit  the  girls  in  their  new  abode, 
and  nothing  more  was  said  of  his  making 
the  acquaintance  of  Mdlle.  Roche.     Meetings 

were  appointed  by  post-card — alway  in  Patty's 

205 


2o6  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

hand  if  the  initiative  were  female ;  they  took 
place  three  or  four  times  a  week.  As  it  was 
now  necessary  for  Eve  to  make  payments  on 
her  own  account,  Hilliard  despatched  to  her  by 
post  a  remittance  in  paper  money,  and  of  this 
no  word  passed  between  them.  Three  weeks 
later  he  again  posted  the  same  sum.  On  the 
morrow  they  went  by  river  to  St.  Cloud — it 
was  always  a  trio,  Hilliard  never  making  any 
other  proposal — and  the  steam-boat  afforded 
Eve  an  opportunity  of  speaking  with  her  gen- 
erous friend  apart. 

"  I  don't  want  this  money,"  she  said,  giving 
him  an  envelope.  "  What  you  sent  before  is  n't 
anything  like  finished.  There 's  enough  for  a 
month  more." 

"Keep  it  all  the  same.  I  won't  have  any 
pinching." 

"There's  nothing  of  the  kind.  If  I  don't 
have  my  way  in  this  I  shall  go  back  to  Lon- 
don." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  207 

He  put  the  envelope  in  his  pocket,  and  stood 
silent,  with  eyes  fixed  on  the  river  bank. 

"How  long  do  you  intend  us  to  stay?" 
asked  Eve. 

"  As  long  as  you  find  pleasure  here." 

"  And — what  am  I  to  do  afterwards  ?  " 

He  glanced  at  her. 

"  A  holiday  must  come  to  an  end,"  she 
added,  trying,  but  without  success,  to  meet 
his  look. 

"  I  have  n't  given  any  thought  to  that,"  said 
Hilliard,  carelessly;  "there's  plenty  of  time. 
It  will  be  fine  weather  for  many  weeks  yet." 

"  But  I  have  been  thinking  about  it.  I  should 
be  crazy  if  I  did  n't." 

"  Tell  me  your  thoughts,  then." 

"  Should  you  be  satisfied  if  I  got  a  place  at 
Birmingham  ?" 

There  again  was  the  note  of  self-abasement. 

It  irritated  the  listener. 

"  Why  do  you  put  it  in  that  way  ?     There 's 
14 


2o8  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

no  question  of  what  satisfies  me,  but  of  what 
is  good  for  you." 

"  Then  I  think  it  had  better  be  Birmingham." 

"  Very  well.  It's  understood  that  when  we 
leave  Paris  we  go  there." 

A  silence.     Then  Eve  asked  abruptly  : 

"  You  will  go  as  well  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  shall  go  back." 

"  And  what  becomes  of  your  determination 
to  enjoy  life  as  long  as  you  can  ?" 

"  I  'm  carrying  it  out.  I  shall  go  back  satis- 
fied, at  all  events." 

**  And  return  to  your  old  work  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  It  depends  on  all  sorts  of 
things.     We  won't  talk  of  it  just  yet." 

Patty  approached,  and  Hilliard  turned  to 
her  with  a  bright,  jesting  face. 

Midway  in  August,  on  his  return  home  one 
afternoon,  the  converge  let  him  know  that  two 
English  gentlemen  had  been  inquiring  for  him  ; 
one  of  them  had  left  a  card.    With  surprise  and 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  209 

pleasure  Hilliard  read  the  name  of  Robert 
Narramore,  and  beneath  it,  written  in  pencil, 
an  invitation  to  dine  that  evening  at  a  certain 
hotel  in  the  Rue  de  Provence.  As  usual,  Nar- 
ramore had  neglected  the  duties  of  a  corre- 
spondent ;  this  was  the  first  announcement  of 
his  intention  to  be  in  Paris.  Who  the  second 
man  might  be  Hilliard  could  not  conjecture. 

He  arrived  at  the  hotel,  and  found  Narra- 
more in  company  with  a  man  of  about  the 
same  age,  his  name  Birching,  to  Hilliard  a 
stranger.  They  had  reached  Paris  this  morn- 
ing, and  would  remain  only  for  a  day  or  two, 
as  their  purpose  was  towards  the  Alps. 

"  I  could  n't  stand  this  heat,"  remarked  Narra- 
more, who,  in  the  very  lightest  of  tourist  garbs, 
sprawled  upon  a  divan,  and  drank  something 
iced  out  of  a  tall  tumbler.  "We  shouldn't 
have  stopped  here  at  all  if  it  had  n't  been  for 
you.  The  idea  is  that  you  should  go  on  with 
us." 


2IO  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Can't — impossible " 

"  Why,  what  are  you  doing  here — besides 
roasting  ?  " 

"  Eating  and  drinking  just  what  suits  my 
digestion." 

"  You  look  pretty  fit — a  jolly  sight  better 
than  when  we  met  last.  All  the  same,  you 
will  go  on  with  us.  We  won't  argue  it  now ; 
it's  dinner-time.     Wait  till  afterwards." 

At  table,  Narramore  mentioned  that  his 
friend  Birching  was  an  architect. 

"Just  what  this  fellow  ought  to  have  been," 
he  said,  indicating  Hilliard.  "  Architecture  is 
his  hobby.  I  believe  he  could  sit  down  and 
draw  to  scale  a  front  elevation  of  any  great 
cathedral  in  Europe — couldn't  you,  Hilliard?" 

Laughing  the  joke  aside,  Hilliard  looked 
with  interest  at  Mr.  Birching,  and  began  to 
talk  with  him.  The  three  young  men  con- 
sumed a  good  deal  of  wine,  and  after  dinner 
strolled  about  the  streets,  until   Narramore's 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  211 

fatigue  and  thirst  brought  them  to  a  pause  at 
a  caf^  on  the  Boulevard  des  Italiens.  Birching 
presently  moved  apart,  to  reach  a  newspaper, 
and  remained  out  of  earshot  while  Narramore 
talked  with  his  other  friend. 

"What's  going  on?"  he  began.  "What 
are  you  doing  here  ?  Seriously,  I  want  you  to 
go  along  with  us.  Birching  is  a  very  good  sort 
of  chap,  but  just  a  trifle  heavy — takes  things 
rather  solemnly  for  such  hot  weather.  Is  it 
the  expense  ?  Hang  it !  You  and  I  know 
each  other  well  enough,  and,  thanks  to  my  old 
uncle " 

"  Never  mind  that,  old  boy,"  interposed  Mill- 
iard.    "  How  long  are  you  going  for  ?" 

"  I  can't  very  well  be  away  for  more  than 
three  weeks.  The  brass  bedsteads,  you 
know " 

Hilliard  agreed  to  join  in  the  tour. 

"  That 's  right :  I  've  been  looking  forward 
to  it,"  said  his  friend  heartily.      "  And  now. 


2 1 2  EVE 'S  RANSOM. 

have  n't  you  anything  to  tell  me  ?  Are  you 
alone  here  ?  Then,  what  the  deuce  do  you  do 
with  yourself  ?  " 

"  Chiefly  meditate." 

"  You  're  the  rummest  fellow  I  ever  knew. 
I  've  wanted  to  write  to  you,  but — hang  it ! — 
what  with  hot  weather  and  brass  bedsteads, 
and  this  and  that Now,  what  are  you  go- 
ing to  do  ?  Your  money  won't  last  for  ever. 
Haven't  you  any  projects?  It  was  no  good 
talking  about  it  before  you  left  Dudley.  I 
saw  that.  You  were  all  but  fit  for  a  lunatic 
asylum,  and  no  wonder.  But  you  've  pulled 
round,  I  see.  Never  saw  you  looking  in  such 
condition.     What  is  to  be  the  next  move  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  idea." 

"  Well,  now,  /  have.  This  fellow  Birching 
is  partner  with  his  brother,  in  Brum,  and 
they  're  tolerably  flourishing.  I  've  thought  of 
you  ever  since  I  came  to  know  him  ;  I  think  it 
was  chiefly  on  your  account  that  I  got  thick 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  2 1 3 

with  him — though  there  was  another  reason  : 
I  'II  tell  you  about  that  some  time.  Now,  why 
should  n't  you  go  into  their  office  ?  Could 
you  manage  to  pay  a  small  premium  ?  I  believe 
I  could  square  it  with  them.  I  have  n't  said 
anything.  I  never  hurry — like  things  to  ripen 
naturally.  Suppose  you  saw  your  way,  in  a 
year  or  two,  to  make  only  as  much  in  an  archi- 
tect's office  as  you  did  in  that machine-shop, 

would  n't  it  be  worth  while  ?  " 

Hilliard  mused.  Already  he  had  a  flush  on 
his  cheek,  but  his  eyes  sensibly  brightened. 

"  Yes,"  he  said  at  length  with  deliberation. 
"  It  would  be  worth  while." 

"  So  I  should  think.  Well,  wait  till  you  Ve 
got  to  be  a  bit  chummy  with  Birching.  I  think 
you  '11  suit  each  other.  Let  him  see  that  you  do 
really  know  something  about  architecture — 
there  '11  be  plenty  of  chances." 

Hilliard,  still  musing,  repeated  with  mechani- 
cal emphasis : 


214  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Yes,  it  would  be  worth  while." 

Then  Narramore  called  to  Birching,  and  the 
talk  became  general  again. 

The  next  morning  they  drove  about  Paris, 
all  together.  Narramore,  though  it  was  his 
first  visit  to  the  city,  declined  to  see  anything 
which  demanded  exertion,  and  the  necessity 
for  quenching  his  thirst  recurred  with  great 
frequency.  Early  in  the  afternoon  he  proposed 
that  they  should  leave  Paris  that  very  evening. 

"  I  want  to  see  a  mountain  with  snow  on  it. 
We  *re  bound  to  travel  by  night,  and  another 
day  of  this  would  settle  me.  Any  objection, 
Birching?" 

The  architect  agreed,  and  time-tables  were 
consulted.  Hilliard  drove  home  to  pack. 
When  this  was  finished,  he  sat  down  and  wrote 
a  letter  : 

"  Dear  Miss  Madeley, — My  friend  Nar- 
ramore is  here,  and  has  persuaded  me  to  go  to 
Switzerland  with  him.     I  shall  be  away  for  a 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  215 

week  or  two,  and  will  let  you  hear  from  me  in 
the  meantime.  Narramore  says  I  am  looking 
vastly  better,  and  it  is  you  I  have  to  thank 
for  this.  Without  you,  my  attempts  at  '  en- 
joying life  *  would  have  been  a  poor  business. 
We  start  in  an  hour  or  two, — Yours  ever, 

•*  Maurice  Milliard." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

HE  was  absent  for  full  three  weeks,  and  ar- 
rived with  his  friends  at  the  Gare  de 
Lyon  early  one  morning  of  September.  Nar- 
ramore  and  the  architect  delayed  only  for  a 
meal,  and  pursued  their  journey  homeward ; 
Milliard  returned  to  his  old  quarters  despatched 
a  post-card  asking  Eve  and  Patty  to  dine  with 
him  that  evening,  and  thereupon  went  to  bed, 
where  for  some  eight  hours  he  slept  the  sleep 
of  healthy  fatigue. 

The  place  he  had  appointed  for  meeting  with 
the  girls  was  at  the  foot  of  the  Boulevard  St. 
Michel.     Eve  came  alone. 

"  And  where 's  Patty  ?  "  he  asked,  grasping 

her  hand   heartily  in  return  for  the   smile  of 

unfeigned  pleasure  with  which  she  welcomed 

him. 

216 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  217 

"  Ah,  where  indeed  ?  Getting  near  to 
Charing  Cross  by  now,  I  think." 

"  She  has  gone  back  ?  " 

"  Went  this  very  morning,  before  I  had  your 
card — let  us  get  out  of  the  way  of  people.  She 
has  been  dreadfully  home-sick.  About  a  fort- 
night ago  a  mysterious  letter  came  for  her  ; 
she  hid  it  away  from  me.  A  few  days  after 
another  came,  and  she  shut  herself  up  for  a 
long  time,  and  when  she  came  out  again  I  saw 
she  had  been  crying.  Then  we  talked  it  over. 
She  had  written  to  Mr.  Dally  and  got  an  an- 
swer that  ma^e  her  miserable ;  that  was  the 
first  letter.  She  wrote  again,  and  had  a  reply 
that  made  her  still  more  wretched  ;  and  that 
was  the  second.  Two  or  three  more  came,  and 
yesterday  she  could  bear  it  no  longer." 

"  Then  she  has  gone  home  to  make  it  up 
with  him  ?  " 

"  Of  course.  He  declared  that  she  has  ut- 
terly lost  her  character  and  that  no  honest  man 


2i8  EVE'S  HANSOM. 

could  have  anything  more  to  say  to  her  !  I 
should  n't  wonder  if  they  are  married  in  a  few 
weeks'  time." 

Milliard  laughed  light-heartedly. 

"  I  was  to  beg  you  on  my  knees  to  forgive 
her,"  pursued  Eve.  "  But  I  can't  very  well  do 
that  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  can  I  ?  Really, 
she  thinks  she  has  behaved  disgracefully  to 
you.  She  would  n't  write  a  letter — she  was 
ashamed.  '  Tell  him  to  forget  all  about  me  ! ' 
she  kept  saying." 

"  Good  little  girl  !  And  what  sort  of  a  hus- 
band will  this  fellow  Dally  make  her  ?  " 

"No  worse  than  husbands  in  general,  I  dare 
say — ^but  how  well  you  look  !  How  you  must 
have  been  enjoying  yourself  ! " 

"  I  can  say  exactly  the  same  about  you  ! " 

"  Oh,  but  you  are  sunburnt,  and  look  quite  a 
different  man  ! " 

"  And  you  have  an  exquisite  colour  in  your 
cheeks,  and  eyes  twice  as  bright  as  they  used 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  219 

to  be ;  and  one  would  think  you  had  never 
known  a  care." 

"  I  feel  almost  like  that,"  said  Eve,  laughing. 

He  tried  to  meet  her  eyes  ;  she  eluded  him. 

"  I  have  an  Alpine  hunger  ;  where  shall  we 
dine  ?  " 

The  point  called  for  no  long  discussion,  and 
presently  they  were  seated  in  the  cool  restau- 
rant. Whilst  he  nibbled  an  olive,  Hilliard  ran 
over  the  story  of  his  Swiss  tour. 

"If  only  you  had  been  there  !  It  was  the 
one  thing  lacking." 

"You  would  n't  have  enjoyed  yourself  half 
so  much.  You  amused  me  by  your  description 
of  Mr.  Narramore,  in  the  letter  from  Geneva." 

"  The  laziest  rascal  born  !  But  the  best-tem- 
pered, the  easiest  to  live  with.  A  thoroughly 
good  fellow  ;  I  like  him  better  than  ever.  Of 
course  he  is  improved  by  coming  in  for  money 
— who  would  n't  be,  that  has  any  good  in  him 
at  all  ?     But  it  amazes  me  that  he  can  be  con- 


220  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

tent  to  go  back  to  Birmingham  and  his  brass 
bedsteads.  Sheer  lack  of  energy,  I  suppose. 
He'll  grow  dreadfully  fat,  I  fear,  and  by  when 
he  becomes  really  a  rich  man — it 's  awful  to 
think  of." 

Eve  asked  many  questions  about  Narra- 
more  ;  his  image  gave  mirthful  occupation  to 
her  fancy.  The  dinner  went  merrily  on,  and 
when  the  black  coffee  was  set  before  them  : 

"  Why  not  have  it  outside  ? "  said  Eve. 
"  You  would  like  to  smoke,  I  know." 

Milliard  assented,  and  they  seated  themselves 
under  the  awning.  The  boulevard  glowed  in 
a  golden  light  of  sunset ;  the  sound  of  its  traf- 
fic was  subdued  to  a  lulling  rhythm. 

"  There 's  a  month  yet  before  the  leaves 
will  begin  to  fall,"  murmured  the  young  man, 
when  he  had  smoked  awhile  in  silence. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer.  "  I  shall  be  glad 
to  have  a  little  summer  still  in  Birmingham." 

"  Do  you  wish  to  go  ?  " 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  aai 

"I  shall  go  to-morrow,  or  the  day  after," 
Eve  replied  quietly. 

Then  again  there  came  silence. 

"  Something  has  been  proposed  to  me,"  said 
Milliard,  at  length,  leaning  forward  with  his 
elbows  upon  the  table.  "  I  mentioned  that 
our  friend  Birching  is  an  architect.  He  's  in 
partnership  with  his  brother,  a  much  older 
man.  Well,  they  have  offered  to  take  me  into 
their  office  if  I  pay  a  premium  of  fifty  guineas. 
As  soon  as  I  can  qualify  myself  to  be  of  use  to 
them,  they  '11  give  me  a  salary.  And  I  shall 
have  the  chance  of  eventually  doing  much  bet- 
ter than  I  ever  could  at  the  old  grind,  where, 
in  fact,  I  had  no  prospect  whatever." 

"That's  very  good  news,"  Eve  remarked, 
gazing  across  the  street. 

"  You  think  I  ought  to  accept  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  can  pay  the  fifty  guin- 
eas, and  still  leave  yourself  enough  to  live 
upon  ?  ** 


22 1  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Enough  till  I  earn  something,"  HilHard 
answered  with  a  smile. 

"  Then  I  should  think  there  's  no  doubt." 
"  The  question    is  this — are   you    perfectly 
willing  to  go  back  to  Birmingham  ?  " 
"  I  'm  anxious  to  go." 
"  You  feel  quite  restored  to  health  ?  " 
"  I  was  never  so  well  in  my  life." 
Milliard   looked   into   her   face,   and   could 
easily  believe  that  she  spoke  the  truth.     His 
memory  would  no  longer  recall  the  photograph 
in  Mrs.  Brewer's  album  ;  the  living  Eve,  with 
her  progressive  changes  of  countenance,  had 
obliterated  that  pale  image  of  her  bygone  self. 
He  saw  her  now  as  a  beautiful  woman,  mys- 
terious to  him  still  in  many  respects,  yet  fa- 
miliar as  though  they  had  been    friends   for 
years. 

"  Then,  whatever  life  is  before  me,"  he  said, 
"  I  shall  have  done  one  thing  that  is  worth 
doing." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  223 

"  Perhaps — if  everyone's  life  is.  worth  sav- 
ing," Eve  answered  in  a  voice  just  audible. 

"  Everyone's  is  not ;  but  yours  was." 

Two  men  who  had  been  sitting  not  far 
from  them  rose  and  walked  away.  As  if  more 
at  her  ease  for  this  secession,  Eve  looked  at 
her  companion,  and  said  in  a  tone  of  in- 
timacy : 

"  How  I  must  have  puzzled  you  when  you 
first  saw  me  in  London  ! " 

He  answered  softly : 

"  To  be  sure  you  did.  And  the  thought  of 
it  puzzles  me  still." 

"  Oh,  but  can't  you  understand  ?  No ;  of 
course  you  can't — I  have  told  you  so  little. 
Just  give  me  an  idea  of  what  sort  of  person 
you  expected  to  find." 

"  Yes,  I  will.     Judging  from  your  portrait, 

and  from  what  I   was  told  of  you,  I   looked 

for   a  sad,  solitary,  hard-working  girl — rather 

poorly    dressed — taking    no    pleasure — going 
>5 


224  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

much  to  chapel — shrinking  from  the  ordinary 
world." 

"  And  you  felt  disappointed?" 

'*At  first,  yes;  or,  rather,  bewildered — 
utterly  unable  to  understand  you." 

"  You  are  disappointed  still  ?"  she  asked. 

"  I  would  n't  have  you  anything  but  what 
you  are." 

"  Still,  that  other  girl  was  the  one  you 
wished  to  meet." 

"Yes,  before  I  had  seen  you.  It  was  the 
sort  of  resemblance  between  her  life  and  my 
own.  I  thought  of  sympathy  between  us. 
And  the  face  of  the  portrait — but  I  see  better 
things  in  the  face  that  is  looking  at  me  now." 

"  Don't  be  quite  sure  of  that — yes,  perhaps. 
It  's  better  to  be  healthy,  and  enjoy  life,  than 
broken-spirited  and  hopeless.  The  strange 
thing  is  that  you  were  right — you  fancied  me 
just  the  kind  of  a  girl  I  was  :  sad  and  solitary, 
and    shrinking     from    people — true    enough. 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  2  2 5 

And  I  went  to  chapel,  and  got  comfort  from 
it — as  I  hope  to  do  again.  Don't  think  that 
I  have  no  religion.  But  I  was  so  unhealthy, 
and  suffered  so  in  every  way.  Work  and  anx- 
iety without  cease,  from  when  I  was  twelve 
years  old.  You  know  all  about  my  father  ? 
If  I  had  n't  been  clever  at  figures,  what  would 
have  become  of  me  ?  I  should  have  drudged 
at  some  wretched  occupation  until  the  work 
and  the  misery  of  everything  killed  me." 

Milliard  listened  intently,  his  eyes  never 
stirring  from  her  face.  • 

"  The  change  in  me  began  when  father  came 
back  to  us,  and  I  began  to  feel  my  freedom. 
Then  I  wanted  to  get  away,  and  to  live  by 
myself.  I  thought  of  London — I  've  told  you 
how  much  I  always  thought  of  London — but  I 
hadn't  the  courage  to  go  there.  In  Birming- 
ham I  began  to  change  my  old  habits;  but 
more  in  what  I  thought  than  what  I  did.  I 
wished  to  enjoy  myself  like  other  girls,  but  I 


226  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

could  n't.  For  one  thing,  I  thought  it  wicked ; 
and  then  I  was  so  afraid  of  spending  a  penny 
— I  had  so  often  known  what  it  was  to  be  in 
want  of  a  copper  to  buy  food.  So  I  lived  quite 
alone ;  sat  in  my  room  every  evening  and  read 
books.  You  could  hardly  believe  what  a  num- 
ber of  books  I  read  in  that  year.  Sometimes 
I  didn't  go  to  bed  till  two  or  three  o'clock." 

"  What  sort  of  books  ?  " 

"  I  got  them  from  the  Free  Library — ^books 
of  all  kinds  ;  not  only  novels.  I  've  never  been 
particularly  fond  of  novels  ;  they  always  made 
me  feel  my  own  lot  all  the  harder.  !•  never 
could  understand  what  people  mean  when 
they  say  that  reading  novels  takes  them  *  out 
of  themselves.*  It  was  never  so  with  me.  I 
liked  travels  and  lives  of  people,  and  books 
about  the  stars.     Why  do  you  laugh  ?  " 

"  You  escaped  from  yourself  therej  at  all 
events." 

"  At  last  I  saw  an  advertisement  in  a  news- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  227 

paper — a  London  paper  in  the  reading-room — 
which  I  was  tempted  to  answer  ;  and  I  got  an 
engagement  in  London.  When  the  time 
came  for  starting  I  was  so  afraid  and  low- 
spirited  that  I  all  but  gave  it  up.  I  should 
have  done,  if  I  could  have  known  what  was 
before  me.  The  first  year  in  London  was  all 
loneliness  and  ill-health.  I  did  n't  make  a 
friend,  and  I  starved  myself,  all  to  save  money. 
Out  of  my  pound  a  week  I  saved  several  shil- 
lings— just  because  it  was  the  habit  of  my 
whole  life  to  pinch  and  pare  and  deny  myself. 
I  was  obliged  to  dress  decently,  and  that  came 
out  of  my  fpod.  It 's  certain  I  must  have  a 
very  good  constitution  to  have  gone  through 
all  that  and  be  as  well  as  I  am  to-day." 

"  It  will  never  come  again,"  said  Hilliard. 

"How  can  I  be  sure  of  that  ?  I  told  you 
once  before  that  I  'm  often  in  dread  of  the 
future.  It  would  be  ever  so  much  worse,  after 
knowing  what  it  means   to   enjoy  one's  life. 


328  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

How  do  people  feel  who  are  quite  sure  they 
can  never  want  as  long  as  they  live  ?  I  have 
tried  to  imagine  it,  but  I  can't ;  it  would  be 
too  wonderful." 

"  You  may  know  it  some  day." 

Eve  reflected. 

"  It  was  Patty  Ringrose,"  she  continued, 
"  who  taught  me  to  take  life  more  easily.  I 
was  astonished  to  find  how  much  enjoyment 
she  could  get  out  of  an  hour  or  two  of  liberty, 
with  sixpence  to  spend.  She  did  me  good  by 
laughing  at  me,  and  in  the  end  I  astonished 
he7\  Was  n't  it  natural  that  I  should  be  reck- 
less as  soon  as  I  got  the  chance  ?  " 

*'  I  begin  to  understand." 

"  The  chance  came  in  this  way.  One  Sun- 
day morning  I  went  by  myself  to  Hampstead, 
and  as  I  was  wandering  about  on  the  Heath  I 
kicked  against  something.  It  was  a  cash-box, 
which  I  saw  couldn't  have  been  lying  there 
very  long.     I  found  it  had  been  broken  open, 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  229 

and  inside  it  were  a  lot  of  letters — old  letters 
in  envelopes;  nothing  else.  The  addresses 
on  the  envelopes  were  all  the  same — to  a 
gentleman  living  at  Hampstead.  I  thought 
the  best  I  could  do  was  to  go  and  inquire  for 
this  address ;  and  I  found  it,  and  rang  the 
door-bell.  When  I  told  the  servant  what  I 
wanted — it  was  a  large  house — she  asked  me 
to  come  in,  and  after  I  had  waited  a  little  she 
took  me  into  a  library,  where  a  gentleman  was 
sitting.  I  had  to  answer  a  good  many  ques- 
tions, and  the  man  talked  rather  gruffly  to  me. 
When  he  had  made  a  note  of  my  name  and 
where  I  lived,  he  said  that  I  should  hear  from 
him,  and  so  I  went  away.  Of  course  I  hoped 
to  have  a  reward,  but  for  two  or  three  days  I 
heard  nothing ;  then,  when  I  was  at  business, 
someone  asked  to  see  me — a  man  I  didn't 
know.  He  said  he  had  come  from  Mr.  So- 
and-So,  the  gentleman  at  Hampstead,  and  had 
brought   something   for   me — four  fire-pound 


230  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

notes.  The  cash-box  had  been  stolen  by  some- 
one, with  other  things,  the  night  before  I  found 
it,  and  the  letters  in  it,  which  disappointed  the 
thief,  had  a  great  value  for  their  owner.  All 
sorts  of  inquiries  had  been  made  about  me, 
and  no  doubt  I  very  nearly  got  into  the  hands 
of  the  police,  but  it  was  all  right,  and  I 
had  twenty  pounds  reward.  Think !  twenty 
pounds !" 

Hilliard  nodded. 

"  I  told  no  one  about  it — not  even  Patty. 
And  I  put  the  money  into  the  Post  Office  sav- 
ings bank.  I  meant  it  to  stay  there  till  I  might 
be  in  need  ;  but  I  thought  of  it  day  and  night. 
And  only  a  fortnight  after,  my  employers  shut 
up  their  place  of  business,  and  I  had  nothing 
to  do.  All  one  night  I  lay  awake,  and  when  I 
got  up  in  the  morning  I  felt  as  if  I  was  no 
longer  my  old  self.  I  saw  everything  in  a 
different  way — felt  altogether  changed.  I  had 
made  up  my  mind  not  to  look  for  a  new  place, 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  2 3 1 

but  to  take  my  money  out  of  the  Post  Office — 
I  had  more  than  twenty-five  pounds  there 
altogether — and  spend  it  for  my  pleasure.  It 
was  just  as  if  something  had  enraged  me,  and  I 
was  bent  on  avenging  myself.  All  that  day  I 
walked  about  the  town,  looking  at  shops,  and 
thinking  what  I  should  like  to  buy  :  but  I  only 
spent  a  shilling  or  two,  for  meals.  The  next 
day  I  bought  some  new  clothing.  The  day 
after  that  I  took  Patty  to  the  theatre,  and  as- 
tonished her  by  my  extravagance  ;  but  I  gave 
her  no  explanation,  and  to  this  day  she 
does  n't  understand  how  I  got  my  money.  In 
a  sort  of  way,  I  did  enjoy  myself.  For  one 
thing,  I  took  a  subscription  at  Mudie's,  and 
beofan  to  read  once  more.  You  can't  think 
how  it  pleased  me  to  get  my  books — new 
books — where  rich  people  do.  I  changed  a 
volume  about  every  other  day — I  had  so  many 
hours  I  did  n't  know  what  to  do  with.  Patty 
was  the  only  friend  I  had  made,  so  I  took  her 


S3t  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

about  with  me  whenever  she  could  get  away  in 
the  evening." 

"  Yet  never  once  dined  at  a  restaurant,"  re- 
marked Milliard,  laughing.  "There's  the 
difference  between  man  and  woman." 

"My  ideas  of  extravagance  were  very 
modest,  after  all." 

Milliard,  fingering  his  coffee-cup,  said  in  a 
lower  voice  : 

"  Yet  you  have  n't  told  me  everything." 

Eve  looked  away,  and  kept  silence. 

"  By  the  time  I  met  you  " — he  spoke  in  his 
ordinary  tone — "  you  had  begun  to  grow  tired 
of  it." 

"  Yes — and "     She  rose.      "  We   won't 

sit  here  any  longer." 

When  they  had  walked  for  a  few  minutes  : 

"  How  long  shall  you  stay  in  Paris  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Won't  you  let  me  travel  with  you  ?  " 

"  I  do  whatever  you  wish,"  Eve  answered 
simply. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

HER  accent  of  submission  did  not  affect 
Milliard  as  formerly ;  with  a  nervous 
thrill,  he  felt  that  she  spoke  as  her  heart  dic- 
tated. In  his  absence  Eve  had  come  to  regard 
him,  if  not  with  the  feeling  he  desired,  with 
something  that  resembled  it ;  he  read  the 
change  in  her  eyes.  As  they  walked  slowly 
away  she  kept  nearer  to  him  than  of  wont ; 
now  and  then  her  arm  touched  his,  and  the 
contact  gave  him  a  delicious  sensation. 
Askance  he  observed  her  figure,  its  graceful, 
rather  languid,  movement ;  to-night  she  had 
a  new  power  over .  him,  and  excited  with 
a  passion  which  made  his  earlier  desires 
seem  spiritless. 

"  One  day  more  of  Paris  ?  "  he  asked  softly. 

233 


234  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"Wouldn't  it  be  better ?"  she  hesitated 

in  the  objection. 

**  Do  you  wish  to  break  the  journey  in  Lon- 
don?" 

"  No  ;  let  us  go  straight  on." 

"  To-morrow,  then  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  we  ought  to  put  it  off.  The 
holiday  is  over." 

Milliard  nodded  with  satisfaction.  An  inci- 
dent of  the  street  occupied  them  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  their  serious  conversation  was 
only  resumed  when  they  had  crossed  to  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  where  they  turned  east- 
wards and  went  along  the  quays. 

"  Till  I  can  find  something  to  do,"  Eve  said 
at  length,  "  I  shall  live  at  Dudley.  Father  will 
be  very  glad  to  have  me  there.  He  wished  me 
to  stay  longer." 

"  I  am  wondering  whether  it  is  really  neces- 
sary for  you  to  go  back  to  your  drudgery." 

"  Oh,  of  course  it  is,"  she  answered  quickly. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  235 

"  I  must  n't  be  idle.  That 's  the  very  worst 
thing  for  me.     And  how  am  I  to  live  ?  " 

"  I  have  still  plenty  of  money,"  said  Hilliard, 
regarding  her. 

"  No  more  than  you  will  need." 

"  But  think — how  little  more  it  costs  for  two 
than  for  one " 

He  spoke  in  spite  of  himself,  having  purposed 
no  such  suggestion.     Eve  quickened  her  step. 

"No,  no,  no  !  You  have  a  struggle  before 
you  ;  you  don't  know  what " 

"  And  if  it  would  make  it  easier  for  me  ? — 
there 's  no  real  doubt  about  my  getting  on  well 
enough " 

"  Everything  is  doubtful."  She  spoke  in  a 
voice  of  agitation.  "  We  can't  see  a  day  before 
us.  We  have  arranged  everything  very 
well " 

Hilliard  was  looking  across  the  river.  He 
walked  more  and  more  slowly,  and  turned  at 
length  to  stand  by  the  parapet.     His  compan- 


236  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

ion  remained  apart  froih  him,  waiting.  But  he 
did  not  turn  towards  her  again,  and  she  moved 
to  his  side. 

"  I  know  how  ungrateful  I  must  seem."  She 
spoke  without  looking  at  himj  "  I  have  no 
right  to  refuse  anything  after  all  you " 

"  Don't  say  that,"  he  interrupted  impatiently. 
"That's  the  one  thing  I  shall  never  like  to 
think  of." 

"  I  shall  think  of  it  always,  and  be  glad  to 
remember  it " 

"  Come  nearer — give  me  your  hand " 


Holding  it,  he  drew  her  against  his  side,  and 
they  stood  in  silence  looking  upon  the  Seine, 
now  dark  beneath  the  clouding  night. 

"  I  can't  feel  sure  of  you,"  fell  at  length  from 
Milliard. 

"  I  promise " 

"  Yes  ;  here,  now,  in  Paris.  But  when  you 
are  back  in  that  hell " 

"  What  difference  can  it  make  in  me  ?     It 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  237 

can't  change  what  I  feel  now.  You  have  al- 
tered all  my  life,  my  thoughts  about  every- 
thing. When  I  look  back,  I  don't  know 
myself.  You  were  right ;  I  must  have  been 
suffering  from  an  illness  that  affected  my  mind. 
It  seems  impossible  that  I  could  ever  have 
done  such  things.  I  ought  to  tell  you.  Do 
you  wish  me  to  tell  you  everything  ?  " 

Hilliard  spoke  no  answer,  but  he  pressed  her 
hand  more  tightly  in  his  own. 

"  You  knew  it  from  Patty,  did  n't  you  ?  " 

"  She  told  me  as  much  as  she  knew  that 
night  when  I  waited  for  you  in  High  Street. 
She  said  you  were  in  danger,  and  I  compelled 
her  to  tell  all  she  could." 

"  I  was  in  danger,  though  I  can't  understand 
now  how  it  went  so  far  as  that.  It  was  he  who 
came  to  me  with  the  money,  from  the  gentle- 
man at  Hampstead,  That  was  how  I  first  met 
him.  The  next  day  he  waited  for  me  when  I 
came  away  from  business." 


238  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  It  was  the  first  time  that  anything  of  that 
kind  had  happened  ?  " 

"  The  first  time.  And  you  know  what  the 
state  of  my  mind  was  then.  But  to  the  end  I 
never  felt  any — I  never  really  loved  him.  We 
met  and  went  to  places  together.  After  my 
loneliness — you  can  understand.  But  I  dis- 
trusted him.  Did  Patty  tell  you  why  I  left 
London  so  suddenly  ?  " 

"Yes.' 

"  When  that  happened  I  knew  my  instinct 
had  been  right  from  the  first.  It  gave  me  very 
little  pain,  but  I  was  ashamed  and  disgusted. 
He  hadn't  tried  to  deceive  me  in  words ;  he 
never  spoke  of  marriage ;  and  from  what  I 
found  out  then,  I  saw  that  he  was  very  much 
to  be  pitied." 

"  You  seem  to  contradict  yourself,"  said 
Hilliard.  "Why  were  you  ashamed  and  dis- 
gusted ?  " 

"  At  finding  myself  in  the  power  of  such  a 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  239 

woman.  He  married  her  when  she  was  very 
young,  and  I  could  imagine  the  life  he  had  led 
with  her  until  he  freed  himself.  A  hateful 
woman  !  " 

"  Hateful  to  you,  I  see,"  muttered  the  lis- 
tener, with  something  tight  at  his  heart. 

"  Not  because  I  felt  anything  like  jealousy. 
You  must  believe  me.  I  should  never  have 
spoken  if  I  had  n't  meant  to  tell  you  the  simple 
truth." 

Again  he  pressed  her  hand.  The  warmth 
of  her  body  had  raised  his  blood  to  fever-heat. 

"  When  we  met  again,  after  I  came  back,  it 

was  by  chance.     I  refused  to  speak  to  him,  but 

he  followed  me   all    along  the  street,  and   I 

did  n't  know  it  till  I  was  nearly  home.     Then 

he  came  up  again,  and  implored  me  to  hear 

what  he  had  to  say.    I  knew  he  would  wait  for 

me  again  in  High  Street,  so  I  had  no  choice 

but   to   listen,  and  then   tell  him   that   there 

could  n't  be  anything  more  between  us.     And, 
i6 


240  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

for  all  that,  he  followed  me  another  day.  And 
again  I  had  to  listen  to  him." 

Hilliard  fancied  that  he  could  feel  her  heart 
beat  against  his  arm. 

"  Be  quick  !"  he  said.  "  Tell  all,  and  have 
done  with  it." 

"He  told  me,  at  last,  that  he  was  ruined. 
His  wife  had  brought  him  into  money  diffi- 
culties ;  she  ran  up  bills  that  he  was  obliged 
to  pay,  and  left  him  scarcely  enough  to  live 
upon.  And  he  had  used  money  that  was  not 
his  own — he  would  have  to  give  an  account  of 
it  in  a  day.  or  two.  He  was  trying  to  borrow, 
but  no  one  would  lend  him  half  what  he 
needed " 

"  That 's  enough,"  Hilliard  broke  in,  as  her 
voice  became  inaudible. 

"  No,  you  ought  to  know  more  than  I  have 
told  you.  Of  course  he  did  n't  ask  me  for 
money ;  he  had  no  idea  that  I  could  lend  him 
even  a  pound.     But  what  I  wish  you  to  know 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  241 

is  that  he  had  n't  spoken  to  me  again  in  the 
old  way.  He  said  he  had  done  wrong,  when 
he  first  came  to  know  me  ;  he  begged  me  to 
forgive  him  that,  and  only  wanted  me  to  be 
his  friend." 

"  Of  course." 

"  Oh,  don't  be  ungenerous  :  that 's  so  un- 
like you." 

"  I  did  n't  mean  it  ungenerously.  In  his 
position  I  should  have  done  exactly  as  he 
did." 

"Say  you  believe  me.  There  was  not  a 
word  of  love  between  us.  He  told  me  all 
about  the  miseries  of  his  life — that  was  all ; 
and  I  pitied  him  so.  I  felt  he  was  so  sin- 
cere." 

"  I   believe  it  perfectly." 

"  There  was  no  excuse  for  what  I  did.  How 
I  had  the  courage  — the  shamelessness — is 
more  than  I  can  understand  now." 

Hilliard  stirred  himself,  and  tried  to  laugh. 


242  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  As  it  turned  out,  you  could  n't  have  done 
better.     Well,  there  's  an  end  of  it.     Come." 

He  walked  on,  and  Eve  kept  closely  beside 
him,  looking  up  into  his  face. 

"  I  am  sure  he  will  pay  the  money  back," 
she  said  presently. 

"  Hang  the  money  !  " 

Then  he  stood  still. 

"  How  is  he  to  pay  it  back  ?  I  mean,  how 
is  he  to  communicate  with  you  ?  " 

"  I  gave  him  my  address  at  Dudley." 

Again  Hilliard  moved  on. 

"Why  should  it  annoy  you?"  Eve  asked. 
"  If  ever  he  writes  to  me,  I  shall  let  you  know 
at  once  :  you  shall  see  the  letter.  It  is  quite 
certain  that  he  will  pay  his  debt ;  and  I  shall 
be  very  glad  when  he  does." 

"  What  explanation  did  you  give  him  ?  " 

"  The  true  one.  I  said  I  had  borrowed 
from  a  friend.  He  was  in  despair,  and  could  n't 
refuse  what  I  offered." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  243 

*'  We  '11  talk  no  more  of  it.  It  was  right  to 
tell  me.  I  'm  glad  now  it 's  all  over.  Look 
at  the  moon  rising — harvest  moon,  is  n't  it  ?  " 

Eve  turned  aside  again,  and  leaned  on  the 
parapet.  He,  lingering  apart  for  a  moment, 
at  length  drew  nearer.  Of  her  own  accord 
she  put  her  hands  in  his. 

"In  future,"  she  said,  "you  ^all  know 
everything  I  do.  You  can  trust  me :  there 
will  be  no  more  secrets." 

"  Yet  you  are  afraid " 

*'  It 's  for  your  sake.  You  must  be  free  for 
the  next  year  or  two.  I  shall  be  glad  to  get  to 
work  again.   I  am  well  and  strong  and  cheerful." 

Her  eyes  drew  him  with  the  temptation  he 
had  ever  yet  resisted.  Eve  did  not  refuse  her 
lips. 

"  You  must  write  to  Patty,"  she  said,  when 
they  were  at  the  place  of  parting.  "  I  shall 
have  her  new  address  in  a  day  or  two." 

"  Yes,  I  will  write  to  her." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

BY  the  end  of  November  Hilliard  was  well 
at  work  in  the  office  of  Messrs.  Birch- 
ing, encouraged  by  his  progress  and  looking 
forward  as  hopefully  as  a  not  very  sanguine 
temperament  would  allow.  He  lived  penu- 
*  riously,  and  toiled  at  professional  study  night 
as  well  as  day.  Now  and  then  he  passed  an 
evening  with  Robert  Narramore,  who  had 
moved  to  cozy  bachelor  quarters  a  little  dis- 
tance out  of  town,  in  the  Halesowen  direction. 
Once  a  week,  generally  on  Saturday,  he  saw 
Eve.  Other  society  he  had  none,  nor  greatly 
desired  any. 

But  Eve  had  as  yet  found 'no  employment, 
Good  fortune  in  this  respect  seemed  to  have 

deserted  her,  and  at  her  meetings  with  Hill- 

244 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  245 

iard  she  grew  fretful  over  repeated  disappoint- 
ments. Of  her  day-to-day  life  she  made  no 
complaint,  but  Milliard  saw  too  clearly  that 
her  spirits  were  failing  beneath  a  burden  of 
monotonous  dulness.  That  the  healthy  glow 
she  had  brought  back  in  her  cheeks  should 
give  way  to  pallor  was  no  more  than  he  had 
expected,  but  he  watched  with  anxiety  the 
return  of  mental  symptoms  which  he  had  tried 
to  cheat  himself  into  believing  would  not  reap- 
pear. Eve  did  not  fail  in  pleasant  smiles,  in 
hopeful  words ;  but  they  cost  her  an  effort 
which  she  lacked  the  art  to  conceal.  He  felt 
a  coldness  in  her,  divined  a  struggle  between 
conscience  and  inclination.  However,  for  this 
also  he  was  prepared ;  all  the  more  need  for 
vigour  and  animation  on  his  own  part. 

Hilliard  had  read  of  the  woman  who,  in  the 
strength  of  her  love  and  loyalty,  heartens  a 
man  through  all  the  labours  he  must  front ; 
he  believed  in  her  existence,  but  had   never 


246  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

encountered  her — as  indeed  very  few  men 
have.  From  Eve  he  looked  for  nothing  of 
the  kind.  If  she  would  permit  herself  to  rest 
upon  his  sinews,  that  was  all  he  desired.  The 
mood  of  their  last  night  in  Paris  might  per- 
chance return,  but  only  with  like  conditions. 
Of  his  workaday  passion  she  knew  nothing ; 
habit  of  familiarity  and  sense  of  obligation 
must  supply  its  place  with  her  until  a  bright- 
ening future  once  more  set  her  emotions  to 
the  gladsome  tune. 

Now  that  the  days  of  sun  and  warmth  were 
past,  it  was  difficult  to  arrange  for  a  meeting 
under  circumstances  that  allowed  of  free 
comfortable  colloquy.  Eve  declared  that  her 
father's  house  offered  no  sort  of  convenience  ; 
it  was  only  a  poor  cottage,  and  Hilliard  would 
be  altogether  out  of  place  there.  To  his  lodg- 
ings she  could  not  come.  Of  necessity  they 
had  recourse  to  public  places  in  Birmingham, 
where  an  hour  or  two  of  talk  under  shelter 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  247 

might  make  Eve's  journey  hither  worth  while. 
As  Hilliard  Hved  at  the  north  end  of  the  town, 
he  suggested  Aston  Hall  as  a  possible  rendez- 
vous, and  here  they  met,  early  one  Saturday 
afternoon  in  December. 

From  the  eminence  which  late  years  have 
encompassed  with  a  proletarian  suburb,  its  once 
noble  domain  narrowed  to  the  bare  acres  of  a 
stinted  breathing  ground,  Aston  Hall  looks 
forth  upon  joyless  streets  and  fuming  chim- 
neys, a  wide  welter  of  squalid  strife.  Its  walls, 
which  bear  the  dints  of  Roundhead  cannonade, 
are  blackened  with  ever-driving  smoke ;  its 
crumbling  gateway,  opening  aforetime  upon 
a  stately  avenue  of  chestnuts,  shakes  as  the 
steam-tram  rushes  by.  Hilliard's  imagination 
was  both  attracted  and  repelled  by  this  relic 
of  what  he  deemed  a  better  age.  He  enjoyed 
the  antique  chambers,  the  winding  staircases, 
the  lordly  gallery,  with  its  dark  old  portraits 
and   vast    fireplaces,    the    dim-lighted    nooks 


248  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

where  one  could  hide  alone  and  dream  away 
the  present ;  but  in  the  end,  reality  threw  scorn 
upon  such  pleasure.  Aston  Hall  was  a  mere 
architectural  relic,  incongruous  and  meaning- 
less amid  its  surroundings ;  the  pathos  of  its 
desecrated  dignity  made  him  wish  that  it  might 
be  destroyed,  and  its  place  fittingly  occupied 
by  some  People's  Palace,  brand  new,  aglare 
with  electric  light,  ringing  to  the  latest  melo- 
dies of  the  street.  When  he  had  long  gazed 
at  its  gloomy  front,  the  old  champion  of  royal- 
ism  seemed  to  shrink  together,  humiliated  by 
Time's  insults. 

It  was  raining  when  he  met  Eve  at  the  en- 
trance. 

"  This  won't  do,"  were  his  first  words.  "  You 
can't  come  over  in  such  weather  as  this.  If  it 
had  n't  seemed  to  be  clearing  up  an  hour  or 
two  ago,  I  should  have  telegraphed  to  stop 
you." 

"  Oh,  the  weather  is  nothing  to  me,"  Eve 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  249 

answered,  with  resolute  gaiety.  "  I  'm  only  too 
glad  of  the  change.  Besides,  it  won't  go  on 
much  longer.     I  shall  get  a  place." 

Milliard  never  questioned  her  about  her 
attempts  to  obtain  an  engagement ;  the  sub- 
ject was  too  disagreeable  to  him. 

"  Nothing  yet,"  she  continued,  as  they  walked 
up  the  muddy  roadway  to  the  Hall.  "  But  I 
know  you  don't  like  to  talk  about  it." 

"  I  have  something  to  propose.  How  if  I 
take  a  couple  of  cheap  rooms  in  some  building 
let  out  for  offices,  and  put  in  a  few  sticks  of 
furniture  ?  Would  you  come  to  see  me 
there  ?  " 

He  watched  her  face  as  she  listened  to  the 
suggestion,  and  his  timidity  seemed  justified 
by  her  expression. 

"  You  would  be  so  uncomfortable  in  such  a 
place.  Don't  trouble.  We  shall  manage  to 
meet  somehow.  I  am  certain  to  be  living  here 
before  long." 


2SO  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Even  when  you  are,"  he  persisted,  "  we 
shall  only  be  able  to  see  each  other  in  places 
like  this.  I  can't  talk — can't  say  half  the  things 
I  wish  to " 

"We'll  think  about  it.  Ah,  it's  warm 
in  here ! " 

This  afternoon  the  guardians  of  the  Hall 
Were  likely  to  be  troubled  with  few  visitors. 
Eve  at  once  led  the  way  upstairs  to  a  certain 
suite  of  rooms,  hung  with  uninteresting  pict- 
ures, where  she  and  Milliard  had  before  this 
spent  an  hour  safe  from  disturbance.  She 
placed  herself  in  the  recess  of  a  window  :  her 
companion  took  a  few  steps  backward  and  for- 
ward. 

"  Let  me  do  what  I  wish,"  he  urged. 
"  There  's  a  whole  long  winter  before  us.  I 
am  sure  I  could  find  a  couple  of  rooms  at  a 
very  low  rent,  and  some  old  woman  would 
come  in  to  do  all  that 's  necessary." 

"  If  you  like." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  251 

"I  may?  You  would  come  there?"  he 
asked  eagerly. 

"  Of  course  I  would  come.  But  I  sha'n't 
like  to  see  you  in  a  bare,  comfortless  place." 

"  It  need  n't  be  that.  A  few  pounds  will 
make  a  decent  sort  of  sitting-room." 

'*  Anything  to  tell  me  ?  "  Eve  asked,  abruptly 
quitting  the  subject. 

She  seemed  to  be  in  better  spirits  than  of 
late,  notwithstanding  the  evil  sky;  and  Mill- 
iard smiled  with  pleasure  as  he  regarded  her. 

"  Nothing  unusual.  Oh,  yes  ;  I  'm  forget- 
ting. I  had  a  letter  from  Emily,  and  went  to 
see  her." 

Milliard  had  scarcely  seen  his  quondam  sis- 
ter-in-law since  she  became  Mrs.  Marr.  On 
the  one  occasion  of  his  paying  a  call,  after 
his  return  from  Paris,  it  struck  him  that  her 
husband  offered  no  very  genial  welcome.  He 
had  expected  this,  and  willingly  kept  aloof. 

"  Read  the  letter." 


352  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Eve  did  so.  It  began,  "  My  dear  Maurice," 
and  ended,  "  Ever  affectionately  and  gratefully 
yours."     The  rest  of  its  contents  ran  thus  : 

"  I  am  in  great  trouble — dreadfully  unhappy. 
It  would  be  such  a  kindness  if  you  would  let 
me  see  you.  I  can't  put  in  a  letter  what  I  want 
to  say,  and  I  do  hope  you  won't  refuse  to  come. 
Friday  afternoon,  at  three,  would  do,  if  you 
can  get  away  from  business  for  once.  How  I 
look  back  on  the  days  when  you  used  to  come 
over  from  Dudley  and  have  tea  with  us  in  the 
dear  little  room.     Do  come  !  " 

"  Of  course,"  said  Hilliard,  laughing  as  he 
met  Eve's  surprised  look.  "  I  knew  what  Ikat 
meant.  I  would  much  rather  have  got  out  of 
it,  but  it  would  have  seemed  brutal.  So  I 
went.  The  poor  simpleton  has  begun  to  find 
that  marriage  with  one  man  is  n't  necessarily 
the  same  thing  as  marriage  with  another.  In 
Ezra  Marr  she  has  caught  a  Tartar." 

"  Surely  he  does  n't  ill-use  her  ?  " 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  253 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  He  is  simply  a  man  with 
a  will,  and  finds  it  necessary  to  teach  his  wife 
her  duties.  Emily  knows  no  more  about  the 
duties  of  life  than  her  little  five-year-old  girl. 
She  thought  she  could  play  with  a  second  hus- 
band as  she  did  with  the  first,  and  she  was 
gravely  mistaken.  She  complained  to  me  of  a 
thousand  acts  of  tyranny — every  one  of  them, 
I  could  see,  merely  a  piece  of  rude  common- 
sense.  The  man  must  be  calling  himself  an 
idiot  for  marrying  her.  I  could  only  listen 
with  a  long  face.  Argument  with  Emily  is  out 
of  the  question.  And  I  shall  take  good  care 
not  to  go  there  again." 

Eve  asked  many  questions,  and  approved  his 
resolve. 

"  You  are  not  the  person  to  console  and  in- 
struct her.  But  she  must  look  upon  you  as  the 
best  and  wisest  of  men.    I  can  understand  that." 

"  You  can  understand  poor,  foolish  Emily 
thinking  so " 


254  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Put  all  the  meaning  you  like  into  my 
words,"  said  Eve,  with  her  pleasantest  smile. 
"  Well,  I  too  have  had  a  letter.  From  Patty. 
She  is  n't  going  to  be  married,  after  all." 

"  Why,  I  thought  it  was  over  by  now." 

"  She  broke  it  off  less  than  a  week  before 
the  day.  I  wish  I  could  show  you  her  letter, 
but,  of  course,  I  must  n't.  It 's  very  amusing. 
They  had  quarrelled  about  every  conceivable 
thing — all  but  one,  and  this  came  up  at  last. 
They  were  talking  about  meals,  and  Mr.  Dally 
said  that  he  liked  a  bloater  for  breakfast  every 
morning.  *  A  bloater  ! '  cried  Patty.  '  Then 
I  hope  you  won't  ask  me  to  cook  it  for  you. 
I  can't  bear  them.'  '  Oh,  very  well ;  if  you 
can't  cook  a  bloater,  you  're  not  the  wife  for 
me.'  And  there  they  broke  off,  for  good  and 
all." 

"  Which  means  for  a  month  or  two,  I  sup- 
pose." 

"  Impossible  to  say.     But    I    have  advised 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  255 

her  as  strongly  as  I  could  not  to  marry  until 
she  knows  her  own  mind  better.  It  is  too  bad 
of  her  to  have  gone  so  far.  The  poor  man 
had  taken  rooms,  and  all  but  furnished  them. 
Patty  's  a  silly  girl,  I  'm  afraid." 

"  Wants  a  strongman  to  take  her  in  hand — 
like  a  good  many  other  girls," 

Eve  paid  no  attention  to  the  smile. 

"  Paris  spoilt  her  for  such  a  man  as  Mr. 
Dally.  She  got  all  sorts  of  new  ideas,  and 
can't  settle  down  to  the  things  that  satisfied 
her  before.  It  is  n't  nice  to  think  that  perhaps 
we  did  her  a  great  deal  of  harm." 

"  Nonsense  !  Nobody  was  ever  harmed  by 
healthy  enjoyment." 

"Was  it  healthy — for  her?  That's  the 
question." 

Milliard  mused,  and  felt  disinclined  to  dis- 
cuss the  matter. 

"  That  is  n't  the  only  news,I  have  for  you," 

said  Eve  presently.    "  I  've  had  another  letter." 

17 


2s6  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Her  voice  arrested  Hilliard'sstepas  he  paced 
near  her. 

"  I  had  rather  not  have  told  you  anything 
about  it,  but  I  promised.  And  I  have  to  give 
you  something." 

She  held  out  to  him  a  ten-pound  note. 

"What's  this?" 

"He  has  sent  it.  He  says  he  shall  be  able 
to  pay  something  every  three  months  until  he 
has  paid  the  whole  debt.  Please  to  take 
it." 

After  a  short  struggle  with  himself,  Hilliard 
recovered  a  manly  bearing. 

"  It  's  quite  right  he  should  return  the 
money,  Eve,  but  you  must  n't  ask  me  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  it.  Use  it  for  your  own 
expenses.  I  gave  it  to  you,  and  I  can't  take 
it  back." 

She  hesitated,  her  eyes  cast  down. 

"  He  has  written  a  long  letter.  There  's 
not  a  word  in  it  I  should  be  afraid  to  show 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  257 

you.  Will  you  read  it — just  to  satisfy  me? 
Do  read  it ! " 

Milliard  steadily  refused,  with  perfect  self- 
command. 

"  I  trust  you — that  's  enough.  I  have  abso- 
lute faith  in  you.  Answer  his  letter  in  the  way 
you  think  best,  and  never  speak  to  me  of  the 
money  again.  It  's  yours  ;  make  what  use  of 
it  you  like." 

"  Then  I  shall  use  it,"  said  Eve,  after  a 
pause,  "  to  pay  for  a  lodging  in  Birmingham. 
I  could  n't  live  much  longer  at  home.  If  I  'm 
here,  I  can  get  books  out  of  the  library,  and 
time  won't  drag  so.    And  I  shall  be  near  you." 

"  Do  so,  by  all  means," 

As  if  more  completely  to  dismiss  the  unpleas- 
ant subject,  they  walked  into  another  room. 
Milliard  began  to  speak  again  of  his  scheme 
for  providing  a  place  where  they  could  meet 
and  talk  at  their  ease.  Eve  now  entered  into 
it  with  frank  satisfaction. 


2s8  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Have  you  said  anything  yet  to  Mr.  Nar- 
ramore  ?  "  she  asked  at  length. 

"  No.  I  have  never  felt  inclined  to  tell  him. 
Of  course  I  shall  sgme  day.  But  it  is  n't  natu- 
ral to  me  to  talk  of  this  kind  of  thing,  even 
with  so  intimate  a  friend.  Some  men  could  n't 
keep  it  to  themselves  :  for  me  the  difficulty  is 
to  speak." 

"  I  asked  again,  because  I  have  been  think- 
ing— mightn't  Mr.  Narramore  be  able  to  help 
me  to  get  work  ?  " 

Milliard  repelled  the  suggestion  with  strong 
distaste.  On  no  account  would  he  seek  his 
friend's  help  in  such  a  matter.  And  Eve  said 
no  more  of  it. 

On  her  return  journey  to  Dudley,  between 
eight  and  nine  o'clock,  she  looked  cold  and 
spiritless.  Her  eyelids  dropped  wearily  as  she 
sat  in  the  corner  of  the  carriage  with  some 
papers  on  her  lap,  which  Hilliard  had  given 
her.    Rain  had  ceased,  and  the  weather  seemed 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  259 

turning  to  frost.  From  Dudley  station  she  had 
a  walk  of  nearly  half  an  hour,  to  the  top  of 
Kate's  Hill. 

Kate's  Hill  is  covered  with  an  irregular  as- 
semblage of  old  red-tiled  cottages,  grimy  with- 
out, but  sometimes,  as  could  be  seen  through 
an  open  door  admitting  into  the  chief  room, 
clean  and  homely-looking  within.  The  steep, 
narrow  alleys  leading  upward  were  scarce 
lighted  ;  here  and  there  glimmered  a  pale  cor- 
ner-lamp, but  on  a  black  night  such  as  this  the 
oil-lit  windows  of  a  little  shop,  and  the  occa- 
sional gleam  from  doors,  proved  very  service- 
able as  a  help  in  picking  one's  path.  Towards 
the  top  of  the  hill  there  was  no  paving,  and 
mud  lay  thick.  Indescribable  the  confusion  of 
this  toilers'  settlement — houses  and  workshops 
tumbled  together  as  if  by  chance,  the  ways 
climbing  and  winding  into  all  manner  of  pitch- 
dark  recesses,  where  cats  prowled  stealthily. 
In  one  spot  silence  and  not  a  hint  of  life ;  in 


26o  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

another,  children  noisily  at  play  amid  piles  of 
old  metal  or  miscellaneous  rubbish.  From  the 
labyrinth  which  was  so  familiar  to  her,  Eve 
issued  of  a  sudden  on  to  a  sort  of  terrace, 
where  the  air  blew  shrewdly  :  beneath  lay  cot- 
tage roofs,  and  in  front  a  limitless  gloom,  which 
by  daylight  would  have  been  an  extensive 
northward  view,  comprising  the  towns  of  Bils- 
ton  and  Wolverhampton.  It  was  now  a  black 
gulf,  without  form  and  void,  sputtering  fire. 
Flames  that  leapt  out  of  nothing,  and  as  sud- 
denly disappeared ;  tongues  of  yellow  or  of 
crimson,  quivering,  lambent,  seeming  to  snatch 
and  devour  and  then  fall  back  in  satiety. 
When  a  cluster  of  these  fires  shot  forth  to- 
gether, the  sky  above  became  illumined  with 
a  broad  glare,  which  throbbed  and  pulsed  in 
the  manner  of  sheet-lightning,  though  more 
lurid,  and  in  a  few  seconds  was  gone. 

She  paused  here  for  a  moment,  rather  to  rest 
after  her  climb  than  to  look  at  what  she  had 
seen  so  often,  then  directed  her  steps  to  one  of 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  261 

the  houses  within  sight.  She  pushed  the  door, 
and  entered  a  little  parlour,  where  a  fire  and  a 
lamp  made  cheery  welcome.  By  the  hearth, 
in  a  round-backed  wooden  chair,  sat  a  grizzle- 
headed  man,  whose  hard  features  proclaimed 
his  relation  to  Eve,  otherwise  seeming  so  im- 
probable. He  looked  up  from  the  volume 
open  on  his  knee — a  Bible — and  said  in  a 
rough,  kind  voice : 

"  I  was  thinkin'  it  'ud  be  about  toime  for  you. 
You  look  starved,  my  lass." 

"  Yes  ;  it  has  turned  very  cold." 

"  I  've  got  a  bit  o'  supper  ready  for  you.  I 
don't  want  none  myself ;  there 's  food  enough 
/for  me  here"  He  laid  his  hand  on  the  book. 
"  D'  you  call  to  mind  the  eighteenth  of  Ezekiel, 
lass  ? — '  But  if  the  wicked  will  turn  from  all  his 
sins  that  he  hath  committed ' " 

Eve  stood  motionless  till  he  had  read  the 
verse,  then  nodded  and  began  to  take  off  her 
out-of-door  garments.  She  was  unable  to  talk, 
and  her  eyes  wandered  absently. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

AFTER  a  week's  inquiry,  Milliard  discov- 
ered the  lodging  that  would  suit  his 
purpose.  It  was  Camp  Hill;  two  small  rooms 
at  the  top  of  a  house,  the  ground-floor  of  which 
was  occupied  as  a  corn-dealer's  shop,  and  the 
story  above  that  tenanted  by  a  working  opti- 
cian with  a  blind  wife.  On  condition  of  paper- 
ing the  rooms  and  doing  a  few  repairs  necessary 
to  make  them  habitable,  he  secured  them  at 
the  low  rent  of  four  shillings  a  week. 

Eve  paid  her  first  visit  to  this  delectable 
abode  on  a  Sunday  afternoon  ;  she  saw  only 
the  sitting-room,  which  would  bear  inspection  ; 
the  appearance  of  the  bed-room  was  happily 
left  to  her  surmise.     Less  than  a  five-pound 

note  had  paid  for  the  whole  furnishing.     Not- 

262 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  263 

withstanding  the  reckless  invitation  to  Eve  to 
share  his  fortunes  straightway,  Milliard,  after 
paying  his  premium  of  fifty  guineas  to  the  Birch- 
ing Brothers,  found  but  a  very  small  remnant 
in  hand  of  the  money  with  which  he  had  set 
forth  from  Dudley  some  nine  months  ago. 
Yet  not  for  a  moment  did  he  repine ;  he  had 
the  value  of  his  outlay  ;  his  mind  was  stored 
with  memories  and  his  heart  strengthened  with 
hope. 

At  her  second  coming — she  herself  now  oc- 
cupied a  poor  little  lodging  not  very  far  away 
— Eve  beheld  sundry  improvements.  By  the 
fireside  stood  a  great  leather  chair,  deep,  high- 
backed,  wondrously  self-assertive  over  against 
the  creaky  cane  seat  which  before  had  domi- 
nated the  room.  Against  the  wall  was  a  high 
bookcase,  where  Milliard's  volumes,  previously 
piled  on  the  floor,  stood  in  loose  array ;  and 
above  the  mantelpiece  hung  a  framed  engrav- 
ing of  the  Parthenon. 


a64  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  This  is  dreadful  extravagance  ! "  she  ex- 
claimed, pausing  at  the  threshold,  and  eying 
her  welcomer  with  mock  reproof. 

"  It  is,  but  not  on  my  part.  The  things 
came  a  day  or  two  ago,  simply  addressed  to 
me  from  shops." 

"  Who  was  the  giver,  then  ?  " 

"  Must  be  Narramore,  of  course.  He  was 
here  not  long  ago,  and  growled  a  good  deal 
because  I  had  n't  a  decent  chair  for  his  lazy 

bones." 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  him,"  said  Eve,  as 
she  sank  back  in  the  seat  of  luxurious  repose. 
"  You  ought  to  hang  his  portrait  in  the  room. 
Have  n't  you  a  photograph  ?  "  she  added  care- 
lessly. 

**  Such  a  thing  does  n't  exist.  Like  myself, 
he  has  n't  had  a  portrait  taken  since  he  was  a 
child.  A  curious  thing,  by-the-bye,  that  you 
should  have  had  yours  taken  just  when  you 
did.     Of  course  it  was  because  you  were  going 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  265 

far  away  for  the  first  time ;  but  it  marked  a 
point  in  your  life,  and  put  on  record  the  Eve 
Madeley  whom  no  one  would  see  again.  If  I 
can't  get  that  photograph  in  any  other  way  I 
shall  go  and  buy,  beg,  or  steal  it  from  Mrs. 
Brewer." 

"  Oh,  you  shall  have  one  if  you  insist  upon 
it. 

"  Why  did  you  refuse  it  before  ?" 

"  I  hardly  know — a  fancy — I  thought  you 
would  keep  looking  at  it,  and  regretting  that  I 
had  changed  so." 

As  on  her  previous  visit,  she  soon  ceased  to 
talk,  and,  in  listening  to  Milliard,  showed  un- 
consciously a  tired,  despondent  face. 

"  Nothing  yet,"  fell  from  her  lips,  when  he 
had  watched  her  silently. 

"  Never  mind  ;  I  hate  the  mention  of  it" 

"  By-the-bye,"  he  resumed,  "  Narramore  as- 
tounded me  by  hinting  at  marriage.  It 's  Miss 
Birching,  the   sister   of   my  man.     It   has  n't 


266  EVE*S  RANSOM. 

come  to  an  engagement  yet,  and  if  it  ever  does 
I  shall  give  Miss  Birching  the  credit  for  it.  It 
would  have  amused  you  to  hear  him  talking 
about  her,  with  a  pipe  in  his  mouth  and  half 
asleep.  I  understand  now  why  he  took  young 
Birching  with  him  to  Switzerland.  He  '11  never 
carry  it  through  ;  unless,  as  I  said,  Miss  Birch- 
ing takes  the  decisive  step." 

"Is  she  the  kind  of  girl  to  do  that  ?  "  asked 
Eve,  waking  to  curiosity. 

"  I  know  nothing  about  her,  except  from 
Narramore's  sleepy  talk.  Rather  an  arrogant 
beauty,  according  to  him.  He  told  me  a  story 
of  how,  when  he  was  calling  upon  her,  she 
begged  him  to  ring  the  bell  for  something  or 
other,  and  he  was  so  slow  in  getting  up  that 
she  went  and  rang  it  herself.  *  Her  own  fault,* 
he  said ;  '  she  asked  me  to  sit  on  a  chair  with 
a  seat  some  six  inches  above  the  ground,  and 
how  can  a  man  hurry  up  from  a  thing  of  that 
sort?'" 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  267 

"  He  must  be  a  strange  man.  Of  course  he 
does  n't  care  anything  about  Miss  Birching." 

"  But  I  think  he  does,  in  his  way." 

"  How  did  he  ever  get  on  at  all  in  business  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  's  one  of  the  lucky  men."  Hilliard 
replied,  with  a  touch  of  good-natured  bitter- 
ness. "He  never  exerted  himself ;  good  things 
fell  into  his  mouth.  People  got  to  like  him — 
that  's  one  explanation,  no  doubt." 

"  Don't  you  think  he  may  have  more  energy 
than  you  imagine  ? " 

"  It  's  possible.  I  have  sometimes  won- 
dered." 

"What  sort  of  life  does  he  lead  ?  Has  he 
many  friends  I  mean  ?  " 

"  Very  few.  I  should  doubt  whether  there  *s 
anyone  he  talks  with  as  he  does  with  me. 
He  '11  never  get  much  good  out  of  his  money  ; 
but  if  he  fell  into  real  poverty — poverty  like 
mine — it  would  kill  him.  I  know  he  looks  at 
me  as  an    astonishing   creature,  and   marvels 


268  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

that  I  don't  buy  a  good  dose  of  chloral  and 
have  done  with  it." 

Eve  did  not  join  in  his  laugh. 

"  I  can't  bear  to  hear  you  speak  of  your 
poverty,"  she  said  in  an  undertone.  "  You  re- 
mind me  that  I  am  the  cause  of  it." 

"  Good  Heavens  !  As  if  I  should  mention  it 
if  I  were  capable  of  such  a  thought !  " 

"  But  it 's  the  fact,"  she  persisted,  with  some- 
thing like  irritation.  "  But  for  me,  you  would 
have  gone  into  the  architect's  office  with 
enough  to  live  upon  comfortably  for  a  time." 

"  That  's  altogether  unlikely,"  Milliard  de- 
clared. "  But  for  you,  it  's  improbable  that  I 
should  have  gone  to  Birching's  at  all.  At  this 
moment  I  should  be  spending  my  money  in 
idleness,  and,  in  the  end,  should  have  gone 
back  to  what  I  did  before.  You  have  given 
me  a  start  in  a  new  life." 

This,  and  much  more  of  the  same  tenor, 
failed  to  bring  a  light  upon  Eve's  countenance. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  269 

At  length  she  asked  suddenly,  with  a  defiant 
bluntness — 

"  Have  you  ever  thought  what  sort  of  a  wife 
I  am  likely  to  make  ?  " 

Milliard  tried  to  laugh,  but  was  disagreeably 
impressed  by  her  words  and  the  look  that  ac- 
companied them. 

"  I  have  thought  about  it,  to  be  sure,"  he 
answered  carelessly. 

"  And  don't  you  feel  a  need  of  courage  ?  " 

"  Of  course.  And  not  only  the  need  but  the 
courage  itself." 

"  Tell  me  the  real,  honest  truth."  She  bent 
forward,  and  gazed  at  him  with  eyes  one  might 
have  thought  hostile.  ".I  demand  the  truth  of 
you  :  I  have  a  right  to  know  it.  Don't  you 
often  wish  you  had  never  seen  me  ?  " 

"  You  're  in  a  strange  mood." 

"  Don't  put  me  off.     Answer  !  " 

"  To  ask  such  a  question,"  he  replied  quietly, 
"is  to  charge  me  with  a  great  deal  of  hypoc- 


270  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

risy.  I  did  once  all  but  wish  I  had  never  seen 
you.  If  I  lost  you  now  I  should  lose  what 
seems  to  me  the  strongest  desire  of  my  life. 
Do  you  suppose  I  sit  down  and  meditate  on 
your  capacity  as  cook  or  housemaid  ?  It  would 
be  very  prudent  and  laudable,  but  I  have  other 
thoughts — that  give  me  trouble  enough." 

"  What  thoughts  ?  " 

"  Such  as  one  does  n't  talk  about — if  you 
insist  on  frankness." 

Her  eyes  wandered. 

"  It's  only  right  to  tell  you,"  she  said,  after 
silence,  "  that  I  dread  poverty  as  much  as  ever 
I  did.  And  I  think  poverty  in  marriage  a  thou- 
sand times  worse  than  when  one  is  alone." 

"  Well,  we  agree  in  that.  But  why  do  you 
insist  upon  it  just  now  ?  Are  you  beginning 
to  be  sorry  that  we  ever  met  ?  " 

"  Not  a  day  passes  but  I  feel  sorry  for  it." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  harping  on  the  old 
scruple.     Why  will  you  plague  me  about  it  ?  " 


EVE 'S  RANSOM,  2 7 1 

"  I  mean,"  said  Eve,  with  eyes  down,  '*  that 
you  are  the  worse  off  for  having  met  me,  but 
I  mean  something  else  as  well.  Do  you  think 
it  possible  that  anyone  can  owe  too  much  grati- 
tude, even  to  a  person  one  likes  ?  " 

He  regarded  her  attentively. 

"  You  feel  the  burden  ?  " 

She  delayed  her  answer,  glancing  at  him  with 
a  new  expression — a  deprecating  tenderness. 

"It's  better  to  tell  you.  I  do  feel  it,  and 
have  always  felt  it." 

"  Confound  this  infernal  atmosphere  !  "  Mill- 
iard broke  out  wrathfully.  "It's  making  you 
morbid  again.  Come  here  to  me !  Eve — 
come ! " 

As  she  sat  motionless,  he  caught  her  hands 
and  drew  her  forward,  and  sat  down  again  with 
her  passive  body  resting  upon  his  knees.  She 
was  pale,  and  looked  frightened. 

"  Your  gratitude  be  hanged  !  Pay  me  back 
with  your  lips — so — and  so  !     Can't  you   un- 


272  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

derstand  that  when  my  lips  touch  yours,  I 
have  a  deHght  that  would  be  well  purchased 
with  years  of  semi-starvation  ?  What  is  it  to 
me  how  I  won  you  ?  You  are  mine  for  good 
and  all — that 's  enough." 

She  drew  herself  half  away,  and  stood 
brightly  flushed,  touching  her  hair  to  set  it  in 
order  again.  Milliard,  with  difficulty  control- 
ling himself,  said  in  a  husky  voice — 

"  Is  the  mood  gone  ? " 

Eve  nodded,  and  sighed. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A  T  the  time  appointed  for  their  next  meet- 
-^*-  ing,  Hilliard  waited  in  vain.  An  hour 
passed,  and  Eve,  who  had  the  uncommon 
virtue  of  punctuaHty,  still  did  not  come.  The 
weather  was  miserable — rain,  fog,  and  slush — 
but  this  had  heretofore  proved  no  obstacle,  for 
her  lodgings  were  situated  less  than  half  a  mile 
away.  Afraid  of  missing  her  if  he  went  out, 
he  fretted  through  another  hour,  and  was  at 
length  relieved  by  the  arrival  of  a  letter  of  ex- 
planation. Eve  wrote  that  she  had  been  sum- 
moned to  Dudley ;  her  father  was  stricken  with 
alarming  illness,  and  her  brother  had  tele- 
graphed. 

For  two  days  he  heard  nothing  ;  then  came 

a  few  lines  which  told  him  that  Mr.  Madeley 

273 


274  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

could  not  live  many  more  hours.  On  the 
morrow  Eve  wrote  that  her  father  was  dead. 

To  the  letter  which  he  thereupon  despatched 
Milliard  had  no  reply  for  nearly  a  week. 
When  Eve  wrote,  it  was  from  a  new  address  at 
Dudley.  After  thanking  him  for  the  kind 
words  with  which  he  had  sought  to  comfort 
her,  she  continued — 

"  I  have  at  last  found  something  to  do,  and 
it  was  quite  time,  for  I  have  been  very  miser- 
able, and  work  is  the  best  thing  for  me.  Mr. 
Welland,  my  first  employer,  when  I  was 
twelve  years  old,  has  asked  me  to  come  and 
keep  his  books  for  him,  and  I  am  to  live  in 
his  house.  My  brother  has  gone  into  lodg- 
ings, and  we  see  no  more  of  the  cottage  on 
Kate's  Hill.  It 's  a  pity  I  have  to  be  so  far 
from  you  again,  but  there  seems  to  be  no  hope 
of  getting  anything  to  do  in  Birmingham,  and 
here  I  shall  be  comfortable  enough,  as  far  as 
mere  living  goes.     On  Sunday  I  shall  be  quite 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  275 

free,  and  will  come  over  as  often  as  possible ; 
but  I  have  caught  a  bad  cold,  and  must  be  con- 
tent to  keep  in  the  house  until  this  dreadful 
weather  changes.  Be  more  careful  of  yourself 
than  you  generally  are,  and  let  me  hear  often. 
In  a  few  months'  time  we  shall  be  able  to 
spend  pleasant  hours  on  the  Castle  Hill.  I 
have  heard  from  Patty,  and  want  to  tell  you 
about  her  letter,  but  this  cold  makes  me  feel 
too  stupid.     Will  write  again  soon." 

It  happened  that  Hilliard  himself  was  just 
now  blind  and  voiceless  with  a  catarrh.  The 
news  from  Dudley  by  no  means  solaced  him. 
He  crouched  over  his  fire  through  the  long, 
black  day,  tormented  with  many  miseries,  and 
at  eventide  drank  half  a  bottle  of  whisky,  pip- 
ing hot,  which  at  least  assured  him  of  a  night's 
sleep. 

Just  to  see  what  would  be  the  result  of  his 
silence,  he  wrote  no  reply  to  this  letter.  A 
fortnight  elapsed  ;  he  strengthened  himself  in 


276  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

stubbornness,  aided  by  the  catarrh,  which 
many  bottles  of  whisky  would  not  overcome. 
When  his  solitary  confinement  grew  at  length 
insufferable,  he  sent  for  Narramore,  and  had 
not  long  to  wait  before  his  friend  appeared. 
Narramore  was  rosy  as  ever  :  satisfaction  with 
life  beamed  from  his  countenance. 

"  I  've  ordered  you  in  some  wine,"  he  ex- 
claimed genially,  sinking  into  the  easy-chair 
which  Milliard  had  vacated  for  him — an 
instance  of  selfishness  in  small  things  which 
did  not  affect  his  generosity  in  greater.  "It 
is  n't  easy  to  get  good  port  nowadays,  but  they 
tell  me  that  this  is  not  injurious.  Has  n't  young 
Birching  been  to  see  you  ?  No,  I  suppose  he 
would  think  it  infra  dig.  to  come  to  this  neigh- 
bourhood. There 's  a  damnable  self-conceit 
in  that  family :  you  must  have  noticed  it,  eh  ? 
It  comes  out  very  strongly  in  the  girl.  By- 
the-bye,  I  've  done  with  her — have  n't  been 
there  for  three  weeks,  and  don't  think  I  shall 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  277 

go  again,  unless  it 's  for  the  pleasure  of  saying 
or  doing  something  that  '11  irritate  her  royal 
highness." 

"  Did  you  quarrel  ?" 

"  Quarrel  ?  I  never  quarrel  with  anyone  ; 
it 's  bad  for  one's  nerves." 

**  Did  you  get  as  far  as  proposing  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  left  her  to  do  that.  Women  are 
making  such  a  row  about  their  rights  nowa- 
days, that  it 's  as  well  to  show  you  grant  them 
perfect  equality.  I  gave  her  every  chance  of 
saying  something  definite.  I  maintain  that 
she  trifled  with  my  affections.  She  asked  me 
what  my  views  in  life  were.  Ah,  thought  I, 
now  it 's  coming ;  and  I  answered  modestly 
that  everything  depended  on  circumstances. 
I  might  have  said  it  depended  on  the  demand 
for  brass  bedsteads ;  but  perhaps  that  would 
have  verged  on  indelicacy — you  know  that  I 
am  delicacy  personified.  '  I  thought,'  said  Miss 
Birching,  '  that  a  man  of  any  energy  made  his 


278  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

own  circumstances?'  'Energy!'  I  shouted. 
'  Do  you  look  for  energy  in  me  9  It  *s  the 
greatest  compliment  anyone  ever  paid  me.' 
At  that  she  seemed  desperately  annoyed,  and 
would  n't  pursue  the  subject.  That 's  how  it 
always  was,  just  when  the  conversation  grew 
interesting." 

"  I  'm  sorry  to  see  you  so  cut  up  about  it," 
remarked  Milliard. 

"  None  of  your  irony,  old  fellow.  Well,  the 
truth  is,  I  've  seen  someone  I  like  better." 

"Not  surprised." 

'*  It 's  a  queer  story ;  I  '11  tell  it  you  some 
day,  if  it  comes  to  anything.  I  'm  not  at  all 
sure  that  it  will,  as  there  seems  to  be  a  sort  of 
lurking  danger  that  I  may  make  a  damned 
fool  of  myself." 

"Improbable?"  commented  the  listener. 
"  Your  blood  is  too  temperate." 

"  So  I  thought ;  but  one  never  knows.  Un- 
expected feelings  crop  up  in  a  fellow.      We 


EVE'S  RANSOM,  279 

won't  talk  about  it  just  now.  How  have 
things  been  going  in  the  architectural  line  ?  " 

'*  Not  amiss.     Steadily,  I  think." 

Narramore  lay  back  at  full  length,  his  face 
turned  to  the  ceiling. 

"  Since  I  've  been  living  out  yonder,  I  Ve 
got  a  taste  for  the  country.  I  have  a  notion 
that,  if  brass  bedsteads  keep  firm,  I  shall  some 
day  build  a  little  house  of  my  own ;  an  inex- 
pensive little  house,  with  a  tree  or  two  about 
it.  Just  make  me  a  few  sketches,  will  you  ? 
When  you  've  nothing  better  to  do,  you  know." 

He  played  with  the  idea,  till  it  took  strong 
hold  of  him,  and  he  began  to  talk  with  most 
unwonted  animation. 

"  Five  or  six  thousand  pounds — I  ought  to 
be  able  to  sink  that  in  a  few  years.  Not  enough, 
eh  ?  But  I  don't  want  a  mansion.  I  'm  quite 
serious  about  this,  Hilliard.  When  you  're 
feeling  ready  to  start  on  your  own  account; 
you  shall  have  the  job." 


28o  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Hilliard  laughed  grimly  at  the  supposition 
that  he  would  ever  attain  professional  inde- 
pendence, but  his  friend  talked  on,  and  over- 
leaped difficulties  with  a  buoyancy  of  spirit 
which  ultimately  had  its  effect  upon  the  lis- 
tener. When  he  was  alone  again,  Hilliard  felt 
better,  both  in  body  and  mind,  and  that  even- 
ing, over  the  first  bottle  of  Narramore's  port, 
he  amused  himself  with  sketching  ideal  cot- 
tages. 

"  The  fellow  's  in  love,  at  last.  When  a  man 
thinks  of  pleasant  little  country  houses,  *  with 
a  tree  or  two '  about  them " 

He  sighed,  and  ground  his  teeth,  and 
sketched  on. 

Before  bedtime,  a  sudden  and  profound 
shame  possessed  him.  Was  he  not  behaving 
outrageously  in  neglecting  to  answer  Eve's 
letter  ?  For  all  he  knew  the  cold  of  which  she 
complained  might  have  caused  her  more  suf- 
fering than  he  himself  had  gone  through  from 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  281 

the  like  cause,  and  that  was  bad  enough.  He 
seized  paper  and  wrote  to  her  as  he  had  never 
written  before,  borne  on  the  very  high  flood  of 
passionate  longing.  Without  regard  to  pru- 
dence he  left  the  house  at  midnight  and  posted 
his  letter. 

"It  never  occurred  to  me  to  blame  you  for 
not  writing,"  Eve  quickly  replied  ;  "  I  'm  afraid 
you  are  more  sensitive  than  I  am,  and,  to  tell 
the  truth,  I  believe  men  generally  are  more 
sensitive  than  women  in  things  of  this  kind.  It 
pleased  me  very  much  to  hear  of  the  visit  you 
had  had  from  Mr.  Narramore,  and  that  he  had 
cheered  you.  I  do  so  wish  I  could  have  come, 
but  I  have  really  been  quite  ill,  and  I  must  not 
think  of  risking  a  journey  till  the  weather  im- 
proves. Don't  trouble  about  it ;  I  will  write 
often. 

"  I  told  you  about  a  letter  I  had  had  from 
poor  Patty,  and  I  want  to  ask  you  to  do  some- 
thing.    Will  you  write  to  her  ?     Just  a  nice, 


282  EVE*S  RANSOM. 

friendly  little  letter.  She  would  be  so  de- 
lighted, she  would  indeed.  There  's  no  harm 
in  copying  a  line  or  two  from  what  she  sent 
me.  *  Has  Mr.  Milliard  forgotten  all  about 
me  ?  *  she  says.  *  I  would  write  to  him,  but  I 
feel  afraid.  Not  afraid  of  yoM,  dear  Eve,  but 
he  might  feel  I  was  impertinent.  What  do  you 
think  ?  We  had  such  delicious  times  together, 
he  and  you  and  I,  and  I  really  don't  want  him 
to  forget  me  altogether  ? '  Now  I  have  told 
her  that  there  is  no  fear  whatever  of  your  for- 
getting her,  and  that  we  often  speak  of  her. 
I  begin  to  think  that  I  have  been  unjust  to 
Patty  in  calling  her  silly,  and  making  fun  of 
her.  She  was  anything  but  foolish  in  break- 
ing off  with  that  absurd  Mr.  Dally,  and  I  can 
see  now  that  she  will  never  give  a  thought  to 
him  again.  What  I  fear  is  that  the  poor  girl 
will  never  find  any  one  good  enough  for  her. 
The  men  she  meets  are  very  vulgar,  and  vul- 
gar Patty  is  not — as  you  once  said  to  me,  you 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  283 

remember.     So,   if  you  can  spare   a   minute, 
write  her  a  few  lines,  to  show  that  you  still 

think  of  her.     Her  address  is ,  etc." 

To  Milliard  all  this  seemed  merely  a  pleasant 
proof  of  Eve's  amiability,  of  her  freedom  from 
that  acrid  monopolism  which  characterises  the 
ignoble  female  in  her  love  relations.  Straight- 
way he  did  as  he  was  requested,  and  penned  to 
Miss  Ringrose  a  chatty  epistle,  with  which  she 
could  not  but  be  satisfied.  A  day  or  two 
brought  him  an  answer.  Patty's  handwriting 
lacked  distinction,  and  in  the  matter  of  orthog- 
raphy she  was  not  beyond  reproach,  but  her 
letter  chirped  with  a  prettily  expressed  grati- 
tude. "  I  am  living  with  my  aunt,  and  am 
likely  to  for  a  long  time.  And  I  get  on  very 
well  at  my  new  shop,  which  I  have  no  wish  to 
leave."  This  was  her  only  allusion  to  the  shat- 
tered matrimonial  project  :  "  I  wish  there  was 
any  chance  of  you  and  Eve  coming  to  live  in 
London,  but  I  suppose  that 's  too  good  to  hope 


284  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

for.  We  don't  get  many  things  as  we  wish 
them  in  this  world.  And  yet  I  ought  n't  to  say 
that  either,  for  if  it  had  n't  been  for  you  I  should 
never  have  seen  Paris,  which  was  so  awfully 
jolly  !  But  you  '11  be  coming  for  a  holiday, 
won't  you  ?  I  should  so  like  just  to  see  you, 
if  ever  you  do.  It  is  n't  like  it  was  at  the  old 
shop.  There  's  a  great  deal  of  business  done 
here,  and  very  little  time  to  talk  to  anyone  in 
the  shop.  But  many  girls  have  worse  things 
to  put  up  with  than  I  have,  and  I  won't  make 
you  think  I  *m  a  grumbler." 

The  whole  of  January  went  by  before  Hill- 
iard  and  Eve  again  saw  each  other.  The  lover 
wrote  at  length  that  he  could  bear  it  no  longer, 
that  he  was  coming  to  Dudley,  if  only  for  the 
mere  sight  of  Eve's  face  ;  she  must  meet  him 
in  the  waiting-room  at  the  railway  station.  She 
answered  by  return  of  post,  "  I  will  come  over 
next  Sunday,  and  be  with  you  at  twelve  o'clock, 
but  I  must  leave  very  early,  as  I  am  afraid  to 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  285 

be  out  after  nightfall."  And  this  engagement 
was  kept. 

The  dress  of  mourning  became  her  well ;  it 
heightened  her  always  noticeable  air  of  refine- 
ment, and  would  have  constrained  to  a  reveren- 
tial tenderness  even  had  not  Milliard  naturally- 
checked  himself  from  any  bolder  demonstration 
of  joy.  She  spoke  in  a  low,  soft  voice,  seldom 
raised  her  eyes,  and  manifested  a  new  gentle- 
ness very  touching  to  Hilliard,  though  at  the 
same  time,  and  he  knew  not  how  or  why,  it  did 
not  answer  to  his  desire.  A  midday  meal  was 
in  readiness  for  her  ;  she  pretended  to  eat,  but 
in  reality  scarce  touched  the  food. 

"  You  must  taste  old  Narramore's  port  wine," 
said  her  entertainer.  "  The  fellow  actually 
sent  a  couple  of  dozen." 

She  was  not  to  be  persuaded ;  her  refusal 
puzzled  and  annoyed  Hilliard,  and  there  fol- 
lowed a  long  silence.  Indeed,  it  surprised  him 
to  find  how  little  they  could  say  to  each  other 


286  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

to-day.  An  unknown  restraint  had  come  be- 
tween them. 

"  Well,"  he  exclaimed  at  length,  "  I  wrote  to 
Patty,  and  she  answered." 

"  May  I  see  the  letter  ?  " 

"  Of  course.     Here  it  is." 

Eve  read  it,  and  smiled  with  pleasure. 

"  Does  n't  she  write  nicely  !     Poor  girl !  " 

"Why have  you  taken  so  to  commiserating 
her  all  at  once?"  Milliard  asked.  "  She's  no 
worse  off  than  she  ever  was.  Rather  better,  I 
think." 

"  Life  is  n't  the  same  for  her  since  she  was 
in  Paris,"  said  Eve,  with  peculiar  softness. 

"  Well,  perhaps  it  improved  her." 

"  Oh,  it  certainly  did  !  But  it  gave  her  a 
feeling  of  discontent  for  the  old  life  and  the 
people  about  her." 

"A  good  many  of  us  have  to  suffer  that. 
She  's  nothing  like  as  badly  off  as  you  are,  my 
dear  girl." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  287 

Eve  coloured,  and  kept  silence. 

"  We  shall  hear  of  her  getting  married  before 
long,"  resumed  the  other.  "  She  told  me  her- 
self that  marriage  was  the  scourge  of  music- 
shops — it  carries  off  their  young  women  at 
such  a  rate." 

"  She  told  you  that  ?  It  was  in  one  of  your 
long  talks  together  in  London  ?  Patty  and 
you  got  on  capitally  together.  It  was  very 
natural  she  should  n't  care  much  for  men  like 
Mr.  Dally  afterwards." 

Milliard  puzzled  over  this  remark,  and  was 
on  the  point  of  making  some  impatient  reply, 
but  discretion  restrained  him.  He  turned  to 
Eve's  own  affairs,  questioned  her  closely  about 
her  life  in  the  tradesman's  house,  and  so  their 
conversation  followed  a  smoother  course.  Pres- 
ently, half  in  jest.  Milliard  mentioned  Narra- 
more's  building  projects. 

"  But  who  knows  ?  It  might  come  to  some- 
thing of  importance  for  me.  In  two  or  three 
>9 


288  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

years,  if  all  goes  well,  such  a  thing  might  possi- 
bly give  me  a  start." 

A  singular  solemnity  had  settled  upon  Eve's 
countenance.  She  spoke  not  a  word,  and 
seemed  unaccountably  ill  at  ease. 

**  Do  you  think  I  am  in  the  clouds  ?"  said 
Hilliard. 

"Oh,  no!  Why  shouldn't  you  get  on — as 
other  men  do  ?  " 

But  she  would  not  dwell  upon  the  hope,  and 
Hilliard,  not  a  little  vexed,  again  became  silent. 

Her  next  visit  was  after  a  lapse  of  three 
weeks.  She  had  again  been  suffering  from  a 
slight  illness,  and  her  pallor  alarmed  Hilliard. 
Again  she  began  with  talk  of  Patty  Ringrose. 

"  Do  you  know,  there's  really  a  chance  that 
we  may  see  her  before  long  !  She  '11  have  a 
holiday  at  Easter,  from  the  Thursday  night  to 
Monday  night,  and  I  have  all  but  got  her  to 
promise  that  she  '11  come  over  here.  Would  n't 
it  be  fun  to  let  her  see  the  Black  Country? 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  289 

You  remember  her  talk  about  it.  I  could 
get  her  a  room,  and  if  it's  at  all  bearable 
weather,  we  would  all  have  a  day  somewhere. 
Would  n't  you  like  that  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  I  should  greatly  prefer  a  day 
with  you  alone." 

**  Oh,  of  course,  the  time  is  coming  for  that. 
Would  you  let  us  come  here  one  day  ?  " 

With  a  persistence  not  to  be  mistaken  Eve 
avoided  all  intimate  topics  ;  at  the  same  time 
her  manner  grew  more  cordial.  Through 
February  and  March,  she  decidedly  improved 
in  health.  Hilliard  saw  her  seldom,  but  she 
wrote  frequent  letters,  and  their  note  was  as 
that  of  her  conversation,  lively,  all  but  sportive. 
Once  again  she  had  become  a  mystery  to  her 
lover ;  he  pondered  over  her  very  much  as  in 
the  days  when  they  were  newly  acquainted. 
Of  one  thing  he  felt  but  too  well  assured.  She 
did  not  love  him  as  he  desired  to  be  loved. 
Constant  she  might   be,  but  it  was  the  con- 


290  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

stancy  of  a  woman  unaffected  with  ardent 
emotion.  If  she  granted  him  her  lips  they 
had  no  fervour  respondent  to  his  own  ;  she 
made  a  sport  of  it,  forgot  it  as  soon  as  possible. 
Upon  Hilliard's  vehement  nature  this  acted 
provocatively ;  at  times  he  was  all  but  frenzied 
with  the  violence  of  his  sensual  impulses.  Yet 
Eve's  control  of  him  grew  more  assured  the 
less  she  granted  of  herself  ;  a  look,  a  motion  of 
her  lips,  and  he  drew  apart,  quivering  but  sub- 
dued.    At  one  such  moment  he  exclaimed ; 

"You  had  better  not  come  here  at  all.  I 
love  you  too  insanely." 

Eve  looked  at  him,  and  silently  began  to 
shed  tears.  He  implored  her  pardon,  pros- 
trated himself,  behaved  in  a  manner  that  justi- 
fied his  warning.  But  Eve  stifled  the  serious 
drama  of  the  situation,  and  forced  him  to 
laugh  with  her. 

In  th  e  days  architectural  study  made  little 
way. 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  2 9 1 

Patty  Ringrose  was  coming  for  the  Easter 
holidays.  She  would  arrive  on  Good  Friday. 
"  As  the  weather  is  so  very  bad  still,"  wrote 
Eve  to  Milliard,  "will  you  let  us  come  to  see 
you  on  Saturday  ?  Sunday  may  be  better  for 
an  excursion  of  some  sort." 

And  thus  it  was  arranged.  Hilliard  made 
ready  his  room  to  receive  the  fair  visitors,  who 
would  come  at  about  eleven  in  the  morning. 
As  usual  nowadays,  he  felt  discontented,  but, 
after  all,  Patty's  influence  might  be  a  help  to 
him,  as  it  had  been  in  worse  straits. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

TO-DAY  he  had  the  house  to  himself.  The 
corn-dealer's  shop  was  closed,  as  on  a 
Sunday ;  the  optician  and  his  blind  wife  had 
locked  up  their  rooms  and  were  spending 
Easter-tide,  it  might  be  hoped,  amid  more 
cheerful  surroundings.  Milliard  sat  with  his 
door  open,  that  he  might  easily  hear  the  knock 
which  announced  his  guests  at  the  entrance 
below. 

It  sounded,  at  length,  but  timidly.  Had  he 
not  been  listening,  he  would  not  have  perceived 
it.  Eve's  handling  of  the  knocker  was  firmer 
than  that,  and  in  a  different  rhythm.  Appre- 
hensive of  disappointment,  he  hurried  down- 
stairs and  opened  the  door  to  Patty  Ringrose 
— Patty  alone. 

With  a  shy  but  pleased  laugh,  her  cheeks 
292 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  293 

warm  and  her  eyes  bright,  she  jerked  out  her 
hand  to  him  as  in  the  old  days. 

*'  I  know  you  won't  be  glad  to  see  me.  I  'm 
so  sorry.     I  said  I  had  better  not  come." 

"  Of  course  I  am  glad  to  see  you.  But 
where  's  Eve  ?  " 

"  It 's  so  unfortunate — she  has  such  a  bad 
headache  ! "  panted  the  girl.  *'  She  could  n't 
possibly  come,  and  I  wanted  to  stay  with  her. 
I  said  I  should  only  disappoint  you." 

"  It's  a  pity,  of  course ;  but  I  'm  glad  you 
came,  for  all  that."  Milliard  stifled  his  dissat- 
isfaction and  misgivings.  **  You  '11  think  this 
a  queer  sort  of  place.  I  'm  quite  alone  here 
to-day.  But  after  you  have  rested  a  little  we 
can  go  somewhere  else." 

"Yes.  Eve  told  me  you  would  be  so  kind 
as  to  take  me  to  see  things.  I  *m  not  tired.  I 
won't  come  in,  if  you  'd  rather " 

"  Oh,  you  may  as  well  see  what  sort  of  a  den 
I  've  made  for  myself." 


294  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

He  led  the  way  upstairs.  When  she  reached 
the  top,  Patty  was  again  breathless,  the  result 
of  excitement  more  than  exertion.  She  ex- 
claimed at  sight  of  the  sitting-room.  How 
cosy  it  was  !  What  a  scent  from  the  flowers  ! 
Did  he  always  buy  flowers  for  his  room  ? 
No  doubt  it  was  to  please  Eve.  What  a  com- 
fortable chair  !  Of  course  Eve  always  sat  in 
this  chair  ? 

Then  her  babbling  ceased,  and  she  looked 
up  at  Hilliard,  who  stood  over  against  her, 
with  nervous  delight.  He  could  perceive  no 
change  whatever  in  her,  except  that  she  was 
better  dressed  than  formerly.  Not  a  day 
seemed  to  have  been  added  to  her  age ;  her 
voice  had  precisely  the  intonations  that  he  re- 
membered. After  all,  it  was  little  more  than 
half  a  year  since  they  were  together  in  Paris ; 
but  to  Hilliard  the  winter  had  seemed  of  inter- 
minable length,  and  he  expected  to  find  Miss 
Ringrose  a  much  altered  person. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  295 

"When  did  this  headache  begin?"  he  in- 
quired, trying  to  speak  without  over-much 
concern. 

"  She  had  a  little  yesterday,  when  she  met 
me  at  the  station.  I  did  n't  think  she  was  look- 
ing at  all  well." 

"  I  'm  surprised  to  hear  that.  She  looked 
particularly  well  when  I  saw  her  last.  Had  you 
any  trouble  in  making  your  way  here  ?  " 

"  Oh,  not  a  bit.  I  found  the  tram,  just  as 
Eve  told  me.  But  I  'm  so  sorry  !  And  a  fine 
day  too  !  You  don't  often  have  fine  days  here, 
do  you,  Mr.  Hilliard?" 

"  Now  and  then.  So  you  've  seen  Dudley 
at  last.     What  do  you  think  of  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  like  it !  I  should  n't  mind  living 
there  a  bit.  But  of  course  I  like  Birmingham 
better." 

"  Almost  as  fine  as  Paris,  is  n't  it  ?" 

"  You  don't  mean  that,  of  course.  But  I  've 
only  seen  a  few  of  the  streets,  and  most  of  the 


296  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

shops  are  shut  up  to-day.  Is  n't  it  a  pity  Eve 
has  to  live  so  far  off  ?  Though,  of  course,  it 
is  n't  really  very  far — and  I  suppose  you  see 
each  other  often  ?  " 

Milliard  took  a  seat,  crossed  his  legs,  and 
grasped  his  knee.  The  girl  appeared  to  wait 
for  an  answer  to  her  last  words,  but  he  said 
nothing,  and  stared  at  the  floor. 

"If  it 's  fine  to-morrow,"  Patty  continued, 
after  observing  him  furtively,  "  are  you  coming 
to  Dudley  ?  "      • 

"  Yes,  I  shall  come  over.  Did  she  send  any 
message  ? " 

"  No — nothing  particular " 

Patty  looked  confused,  stroked  her  dress, 
and  gave  a  little  cough. 

"  But  if  it  rains — as  it  very  likely  will — 
there's  no  use  in  my  coming." 

"  No,  she  said  not." 

"  Or  if  her  headache  is  still  troubling 
her " 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  297 

"  Let 's  hope  it  will  be  better.  But — in  any 
case,  she  '11  be  able  to  come  with  me  to  Bir- 
mingham on  Monday,  when  I  go  back.  I 
must  be  home  again  on  Monday  night." 

"  Don't  you  think,"  said  Milliard  carelessly, 
"  that  Eve  would  rather  have  you  to  herself, 
just  for  the  short  time  you  are  here  ?  " 

Patty  made  vigorous  objection. 

"  I  don't  think  that  at  all.  It 's  quite  settled 
that  you  are  to  come  over  to-morrow,  if  it 's 
fine.  Oh,  and  I  do  hope  it  will  be  !  It  would 
be  so  dreadful  to  be  shut  up  in  the  house  all 
day  at  Dudley.  How  very  awkward  that 
there  's  no  place  where  she  can  have  you  there  ! 
If  it  rains,  had  n't  we  better  come  here  ?  I  'm 
sure  it  would  be  better  for  Eve.  She  seems  to 
get  into  such  low  spirits — just  like  she  was 
sometimes  in  London." 

"  That's  quite  news  to  me,"  said  the  listener 
gravely. 

"  Does  n't  she  let  you  know  ?   Then  I  'm  so 


298  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

sorry  I  mentioned  it.  You  won't  tell  her  I  said 
anything?" 

"  Wait  a  moment.  Does  she  say  that  she 
is  often  in  loWoSpirits  ?  "# 

Patty  faltered,  stroking  her  dress  with  the 
movement  of  increasing  nervousness. 

"  It's  better  I  should  know,"  Milliard  added, 
"  I  'm  afraid  she  keeps  all  this  from  me.  For 
several  weeks  I  have  thought  her  in  particu- 
larly good  health." 

"But  she  tells  me  just  the  opposite.  She 
says " 

"Says  what?" 

"  Perhaps  it 's  only  the  place  that  does  n't 
agree  with  her.  I  don't  think  Dudley  is  very 
healthy,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  never  heard  of  doctors  sending  convales- 
cents there.  But  Eve  must  be  suffering  from 
some  other  cause,  I  think.  Does  it  strike  you 
that  she  is  at  all  like  what  she  used  to  be  when 
— when  you  felt  so  anxious  about  her  ?  " 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  299 

He  met  the  girl's  eyes,  and  saw  them  expand 
in  alarm. 

"I   did  n't   think— I  did  n't  mean "she 

stammered. 

"  No,  but  I  have  a  reason  for  asking.  Is  it 
so  or  not  ?  " 

"  Don't  frighten  me,  Mr.  Milliard  !  I  do  so 
wish  I  had  n't  said  anything.  She  is  n't  in 
good  health,  that 's  all.     How  can  you  think 

?     That  was  all  over  long  ago.     And  she 

would  never — I  'm  sure  she  would  n't,  after  all 
you  've  done  for  her." 

Hilliard  ground  the  carpet  with  his  foot,  and 
all  but  uttered  a  violent  ejaculation. 

"  I  know  she  is  all  gratitude,"  were  the  words 
that  became  audible. 

"  She  is  indeed  !  "  urged  Patty.  "  She  says 
that — even  if  she  wished — she  could  never 
break  off  with  you  ;  as  I  am  sure  she  would 
never  wish  ! " 

"  Ah  !  that  's  what  she  says,"  murmured  the 


300  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Other.  And  abruptly  he  rose.  "  There  's  no 
use  in  talking  about  this.  You  are  here  for  a 
holiday,  and  not  to  be  bored  with  other  people's 
troubles.  The  sun  is  trying  to  shine.  Let  us 
go  and  see  the  town,  and  then — yes,  I  '11  go 
back  with  you  to  Dudley,  just  to  hear  whether 
Eve  is  feeling  any  better.  You  could  see  her, 
and  then  come  out  and  tell  me." 

•'Mr.  Milliard,  I  'm  quite  sure  you  are  wor- 
rying without  any  cause — you  are,  indeed  ! " 

"  I  know  I  am.  It  's  all  nonsense.  Come 
along,  and  let  us  enjoy  the  sunshine." 

They  spent  three  or  four  hours  together. 
Milliard  resolute  in  his  discharge  of  hospitable 
duties,  and  Miss  Ringrose,  after  a  brief  spell 
of  unnatural  gravity,  allowing  no  reflection  to 
interfere  with  her  holiday  mood.  Milliard  had 
never  felt  quite  sure  as  to  the  limits  of  Patty's 
intelligence ;  he  could  not  take  her  seriously, 
and  yet  felt  unable  to  treat  her  altogether  as  a 
child  or  an  imbecile.     To-day,  because  of  his 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  30 1 

preoccupied  thoughts,  and  the  effort  it  cost  him 
to  be  jocose,  he  talked  for  the  most  part  in  a 
vein  of  irony  which  impressed,  but  did  not 
much  enlighten,  his  hearer. 

"  This,"  said  he,  when  they  had  reached  the 
centre  of  things,  "  is  the  Acropolis  of  Birming- 
ham. Here  are  our  great  buildings,  of  which 
we  boast  to  the  world.  They  signify  the  tri- 
umph of  Democracy— and  of  money.  In  front 
of  you  stands  the  Town  Hall.  Here,  to  the 
left,  is  the  Midland  Institute,  where  a  great 
deal  of  lecturing  goes  on,  and  the  big  free 
library,  where  you  can  either  read  or  go  to 
sleep.  I  have  done  both  in  my  time.  Behind 
yonder  you  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  fountain 
that  plays  to  the  glory  of  Joseph  Chamberlain 
— did  you  ever  hear  of  him  ?  And  further 
back  still  is  Mason  College,  where  young  men 
are  taught  a  variety  of  things,  including  dis- 
content with  a  small  income.  To  the  right 
there,    that   's    the    Council    Hall — splendid. 


302  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

is  n't  it !  We  bring  our  little  boys  to  look  at 
it,  and  tell  them  if  they  make  money  enough 
they  may  some  day  go  in  and  out  as  if  it  were 
their  own  house.  Behind  it  you  see  the  Art 
Gallery.  We  don't  really  care  for  pictures  ;  a 
great  big  machine  is  our  genuine  delight ;  but 
it  would  n't  be  nice  to  tell  everybody  that." 

"  What  a  lot  I  have  learnt  from  you  ! "  ex- 
claimed the  girl  ingenuously,  when  at  length 
they  turned  their  steps  towards  the  railway 
station.  "  I  shall  always  remember  Birming- 
ham. You  like  it  much  better  than  London, 
don't  you  ?  " 

"  I  glory  in  the  place  ! " 

Hilliard  was  tired  out.  He  repented  of  his 
proposal  to  make  the  journey  to  Dudley  and 
back,  but  his  companion  did  not  suspect  this. 

"  I  'm  sure  Eve  will  come  out  and  have  a 
little  walk  with  us,"  she  said  comfortingly. 
"  And  she  '11  think  it  so  kind  of  you." 

At  Dudley  station  there  were  crowds  of  peo- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  303 

pie  ;  Patty  asked  leave  to  hold  by  her  compan- 
ion's arm  as  they  made  their  way  to  the  exit. 
Just  outside  Milliard  heard  himself  hailed  in  a 
familiar  voice  ;  he  turned  and  saw  Narramore. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  his  friend,  coming 
near.  "  I  did  n't  notice — I  thought  you  were 
alone,  or,  of  course  I  should  n't  have  shouted. 
Shall  you  be  at  home  to-morrow  afternoon  ? " 

"  If  it  rains." 

"It  's  sure  to  rain.  I  shall  look  in  about 
four." 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

T  ^  7ITH  a  glance  at  Miss  Ringrose,  he 
'  "  raised  his  hat  and  passed  on.  Milliard, 
confused  by  the  rapid  rencontre,  half  annoyed 
at  having  been  seen  with  Patty,  and  half  wish- 
ing he  had  not  granted  the  appointment  for  to- 
morrow, as  it  might  interfere  with  a  visit  from 
the  girls,  walked  forward  in  silence. 

"  So  we  really  sha'n't  see  you  if  it 's  wet  to- 
morrow," said  Patty. 

"  Better  not.     Eve  would  be  afraid  to  come, 
she  catches  cold  so  easily." 

"  It  may  be  fine,  like  to-day.     I  do  hope " 

She  broke  off  and  added  : 
"  Why,  is  n't  that  Eve  in  front  ?" 
Eve  it  certainly  was,  walking  slowly  away 
from  the  station,  a   few  yards  in  advance  of 

them.     They  quickened  their  pace,  and  Patty 

304 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  305 

caught  her  friend  by  the  arm.  Eve,  startled 
out  of  abstraction,  stared  at  her  with  eyes  of 
dismay  and  bloodless  cheeks. 

"  Did  I  frighten  you  ?  Mr.  Milliard  has 
come  back  with  me  to  ask  how  you  are.  Is 
your  head  better  ?  " 

"  I  've  just  been  down  to  the  station — for 
something  to  do,"  said  Eve,  her  look  fixed  on 
Milliard  with  what  seemed  to  him  a  very  strange 
intensity.     -'  The  afternoon  was  so  fine." 

"  We  've  had  a. splendid  time,"  cried  Patty. 
*'  Mr.  Milliard  has  shown  me  everything." 

"  I  'm  so  glad.  I  should  only  have  spoilt  it 
if  I  had  been  with  you.  It  's  wretched  going 
about  with  a  headache,  and  I  can't  make  believe 
to  enjoy  Birmingham." 

Eve  spoke  hurriedly,  still  regarding  Milliard, 
who  looked  upon  the  ground. 

"  Mave  you  been  alone  all  day  ?"  he  asked, 
taking  the  outer  place  at  her  side,  as  they 
walked  on. 


3o6  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Of  course — except  for  the  people  in  the 
house,"  was  her  offhand  reply. 

"  I  met  Narramore  down  at  the  station  ;  he 
must  have  passed  you.  What  has  brought 
him  here  to-day,  I  wonder  ?  " 

Appearing  not  to  heed  the  remark,  Eve 
glanced  across  at  Patty,  and  said  with  a  laugh  : 

"  It 's  like  Paris  again,  is  n't  it — we  three  ? 
You  ought  to  come  and  live  here,  Patty. 
Don't  you  think  you  could  get  a  place  in  Bir- 
mingham ?  Mr.  Hilliard  would  get  a  piano 
for  his  room,  and  you  could  let  him  have  some 
music.     I  'm  too  old  to  learn." 

"  I  'm  sure  he  would  n't  want  me  jingling 
there." 

"Wouldn't  he?  He's  very  fond  of  music 
indeed." 

Hilliard  stopped. 

"  Well,  I  don't  think  I  '11  go  any  further," 
he  said  mechanically.  "  You  're  quite  well 
again,  Eve,  and  that 's  all  I  wanted  to  know." 


E  VE  'S  RANSOM.  307 

"  What  about  to-morrow  ?"  Eve  asked. 

The  sun  had  set,  and  in  the  westward  sky 
rose  a  mountain  of  menacing  cloud.  Milliard 
gave  a  glance  in  that  direction  before  re- 
plying. 

"  Don't  count  upon  me.  Patty  and  you  will 
enjoy  the  day  together,  in  any  case.  Yes,  I 
had  rather  have  it  so.  Narramore  said  just 
now  he  might  look  in  to  see  me  in  the  after- 
noon. But  come  over  on  Monday.  When 
does  Patty's  train  go  from  New  Street  ?  " 

Eve  was  mute,  gazing  at  the  speaker  as  if 
she  did  not  catch  what  he  had  said.  Patty 
answered  for  herself. 

"  Then  you  can  either  come  to  my  place," 
he  continued,^  "  or  I  '11  meet  you  at  the 
station." 

Patty's  desire  was  evident  in  her  face  ;  she 
looked  at  Eve. 

"  We'll  come  to  you  early  in  the  afternoon," 
said   the   latter,   speaking   like    one   aroused 


^o8  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

from  reverie,  "Yes,  we'll  come  whatever 
the  weather  is." 

The  young  man  shook  hands  with  them, 
raised  his  hat,  and  walked  away  without  fur- 
ther speech.  It  occurred  to  him  that  he  might 
overtake  Narramore  at  the  station,  and  in  that 
hope  he  hastened  ;  but  Narramore  must  have 
left  by  a  London  and  North-Western  train 
which  had  just  started  ;  he  was  nowhere  dis- 
coverable. Hilliard  travelled  back  by  the 
Great  Western,  after  waiting  about  an  hour ; 
he  had  for  companions  half-a-dozen  beer-mud- 
tiled  lads,  who  roared  hymns  and  costeris! 
catches  impartially.  ;:.; 

His  mind  was  haunted  with  deadly  suspi- 
cions :  he  felt  sick  at  heart:  -   . 

Eve's  headache,  undoubtedly,  was  a.  mere 
pretence  for  not  accompanying  Piatty  to-day. 
She  had  desired  to  be  alone,  and — this  he  dia- 
fcovered  no  less  clearly — she  wished  the  friend- 
ship between  him  and  Patty  to  be  fostered. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  309 

With  what  foolish  hope  ?  Was  she  so  shallow- 
natured  as  to  imagine  that  he  might  transfer 
his  affections  to  Patty  Ringrose  ?  It  proved 
how  strong  her  desire  had  grown  to  be  free 
from  him. 

The  innocent  Patty  (was  she  so  innocent?) 
seemed  not  to  suspect  the  meaning  of  her 
friend's  talk.  Yet  Eve  must  have  all  but  told 
her  in  so  many  words  that  she  was  weary  of 
her  lover.  That  hateful  harping  on  "  grati- 
tude "  !  Well,  one  cannot  purchase  a  woman's 
love.  He  had  missed  the  right,  the  generous, 
line  of  conduct.  That  would  have  been  to  res- 
cue Eve  ftom  manifest  peril,  and  then  to  ask 
nothing  of  her.  Could  he  but  hiave  held  his 
passions  in  leash,  something  like  friendship — 
rarest  of  all  relations  between  man  and  woman 
— might  have  come  about  between  him  and 
Eve.  She,  too,  certainly  had  never  got  beyond 
|:he  stage  of  liking  him  as  a  companion  ;  her 
senses  had  never .  answered  to  his  appeal.     He 


3IO  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

looked  back  upon  the  evening  when  they  had 
dined  together  at  the  restaurant  in  Holborn. 
Could  he  but  have  stopped  at  that  point ! 
There  would  have  been  no  harm  in  such  avow- 
als as  then  escaped  him,  for  he  recognised  with- 
out bitterness  that  the  warmth  of  feeling  was 
all  on  one  side,  and  Eve,  in  the  manner  of  her 
sex,  could  like  him  better  for  his  love  without 
a  dream  of  returning  it.  His  error  was  to  have 
taken  advantage — perhaps  a  mean  advantage 
— of  the  strange  events  that  followed.  If  he 
restrained  himself  before,  how  much  more 
he  should  have  done  so  when  the  girl  had  put 
herself  at  his  mercy,  when  to  demand  her  love 
was  the  obvious,  commonplace,  vulgar  outcome 
of  the  situation  ?  Of  course  she  harped  on 
*' gratitude."  What  but  a  sense  of  obligation 
had  constrained  her  ? 

Something  had  taken  place  to-day  ;  he  felt 
It  as  a  miserable  certainty.  The  man  from 
London  had  been  with  her.     She  expected  him. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  311 

and  had  elaborately  planned  for  a  day  of  free- 
dom. Perhaps  her  invitation  of  Patty  had  no 
other  motive. 

That  Patty  was  a  conspirator  against  him  he 
could  not  believe.  No  !  She  was  merely  an 
instrument  of  Eve's  subtlety.  And  his  suspi- 
cion had  not  gone  beyond  the  truth.  Eve  en- 
tertained the  hope  that  Patty  might  take  her 
place.  Perchance  the  silly,  good-natured  girl 
would  feel  no  objection  ;  though  it  was  not 
very  likely  that  she  foresaw  or  schemed  for  such 
an  issue. 

At  Snow  Hill  station  it  cost  him  an  effort 
to  rise  and  leave  the  carriage.  His  mood  was 
sluggish  ;  he  wished  to  sit  still  and  think  idly 
over  the  course  of  events. 

He  went  byway  of  St.  Philip's  Church,  which 
stands  amid  a  wide  graveyard,  enclosed  with 
iron  railings,  and  crossed  by  paved  walks.  The 
locality  was  all  but  forsaken  ;  the  church  rose 
black  against  the  grey  sky,  and  the  lofty  places 


31,2  ^VE\S  HANSOM. 

of  business,  round  about  were  darkly  silent.  A 
man's  footstep  sounded  in  front  of  him,  and  a 
figure  approached  along  the  narrow  path  be- 
tween the  high  bars.  Milliard  would  have 
passed  without  attention,  but  the  man  stopped 
his  way. 

''  Hollo  !     Here  we  are  again  !" 

He  stared  at  the  speaker,  and  recognised 
Mr.  Dengate. 

"  So  you  've  come  back?" 

"  Where  from  ?  "  said  Hilliard.  "What  do 
you  know  of  me  ?  " 

"  As  much  as  I  care  to,"  replied  the  other 
with  a  laugh.  "  So  you  have  n't  quite  gone  to 
the  devil  yet  ?  I  gave  you  six  months.  I  've 
been  watching  the  police  news  in  the  London 
papers." 

In  a  maddening  access  of  rage,  Hilliard 
clenched  his  fist  and  struck  fiercely  at  the  man. 
But  he  did  no  harm,  for  his  aim  was  wild,  and 
Jjfengate  easily  warded  off  the  blows. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  313 

"  Hold  on  I  You  're  drunlc,  of  course.  Stop 
it,  my  lad,  or  I  '11  have  you  locked  up  till  Mon- 
day morning.  Very  obliging  of  you  to  offer 
me  the  pleasure  I  was  expecting,  but  you  will 
have  it,  eh  ? " 

A  second  blow  was  repaid  in  kind,  and  Mill- 
iard staggered  back  against  the  railings.  Be- 
fore he  could  recover  himself,  Dengate,  whose 
high  hat  rolled  between  their  feet,  pinned  his 
arms. 

"There's  someone  coming  along.  It's  a 
pity.  I  should  enjoy  thrashing  you  and  then 
running  you  in.  But  a  man  of  my  position 
does  n't  care  to  get  mixed  up  in  a  street  row. 
It  wouldn't  sound  well  at  Liverpool.  Stand 
qiiiet,  will  you  !  "  ... 

A  man  and  a  woman  drew  near,  and  lin- 
gered  for  a  moment  in  curiosity.  Hilliard 
already  amazed  at  what  he  had  done,  became 
plassive,  and  stood  with  bent  head. 

"  I  must  have  a  word  or  two  with  you,"  said 


314  EVE'S  EANSOM. 

Dengate,  when  he  had  picked  up  his  hat. 
"  Can  you  walk  straight  ?  I  did  n't  notice  you 
were  drunk  before  I  spoke  to  you.  Come 
along  this  way." 

To  escape  the  lookers-on,  Milliard  moved 
forward. 

**  I  Ve  always  regretted,"  resumed  his  com-, 
panion,  "  that  I  did  n't  give  you  a  sound 
thrashing  that  night  in  the  train.  It  would 
have  done  you  good.  It  might  have  been  the 
making  of  you.     I  did  n't  hurt  you,  eh  ?  " 

"  You  've  bruised  my  lips — that 's  all.  And 
I  deserved  it  for  being  such  a  damned  fool  as 
to  lose  my  temper." 

"  You  look  rather  more  decent  than  I  should 
have  expected.  What  have  you  been  doing  in 
London  ?  " 

"  How  do  you  know  I  have  been  in 
London  ?" 

"  I  took  that  for  granted  when  I  knew  you  *d 
left  your  work  at  Dudley." 


EVE*S  RAN  SO  AT.  315 

"  Who  told  you  I  had  left  it  ?  " 

"  What  does  it  matter  ?  " 

"  I  should  like  to  know,"  said  Hilliard,  whose 
excitement  had  passed  and  left  him  cold. 
"And  I  should  like  to  know  who  told  you 
before  that  I  was  in  the  habit  of  getting 
drunk  ?  " 

"  Are  you  drunk  now,  or  not  ?  " 

'*  Not  in  the  way  you  mean.  Do  you  happen 
to  know  a  man  called  Narramore  ?  '* 

"  Never  heard  the  name." 

Hilliard  felt  ashamed  of  his  ignoble  sus- 
picion.    He  became  silent. 

"  There 's  no  reason  why  you  should  n't  be 
told,"  added  Dengate ;  "  it  was  a  friend  of 
yours  at  Dudley  that  I  came  across  when  I 
was  making  inquiries  about  you  :  Mullen  his 
name  was." 

A  clerk  at  the  ironworks,  with  whom  Hill- 
iard had  been  on  terms  of  slight  intimacy. 

"  Oh,  that  fellow,"   he  uttered  carelessly. 


.31^  EVE'S  RANSOM, 

"i.  \,  ,-■-.>.  ..... 

"  I  'm  glad  to  know  it  was  no  one  else.  Why 
did  yoii  go  inquiring  about  me  ?  " 
„  "  I  told  you.  If  I  'd  heard  a  better  account 
I  shpujd  have  done  a  good  deal  more  for  you 
than  pay  that  money.  I  gave  you  a  chance^ 
tpOi  ^  If  you 'd  shown  any  kind  of  decent  ber 
haviour  when  I  spoke  to  you  in  the  train— but 
it 's  no  good  talking  about  that  now.  This  is 
the  second  time  you  Ve  let  me  see  what  a 
natural  blackguard  you  are.  It 's  queer,  tooj 
you  did  n't  get  that  from  your  father.  I  could 
have  put  you  in  the  way  of  something  good  at 
Liverpool.  Now,  I  *d  see  you  damned  first. 
Well,  have  you  run  through  the  money  ?  " 
"■  .) "  Every  penny  of  it  gone  in  drink." 

"  And  what  are  you  doing  ?  " 
'  "  Walking  with  a  man  I  should  be  glad  to 
be  rid  of." 

''All  right.  Here's  my  card.  When  you 
get  into  the  gutter,  and  nobody '11  give  you 
a.  hand  out,  let  me  know." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  317 

With  a.  nod,  Dengate  walked  off.  Hilliard 
saw  him  smoothe  his  silk  hat  as  he  went ;  then, 
without  glancing  at  the  card,  he  threw  it  away. 

The  next  morning  was  cold  and  wet.  He 
lay  in  bed  till  eleven  o'clock,  when  the  char- 
woman came  to  put  his  rooms  in  order.  At 
mid-day  he  left  home,  had  dinner  at  the  nearest 
place  he  knew  where  a  meal  could  be  obtained 
on  Sunday,  and  afterwards  walked  the  streets 
for  an  hour  under  his  umbrella.  The  exercise 
did  him  good  ;  on  returning  he  felt  able  to  sit 
down  by  the  fire,  and  turn  over  the  plates  of  his 
great  book  on  French  Cathedrals.  This,  at 
all  events,  remained  to  him  out  of  the  wreck, 
and  was  a  joy  that  could  be  counted  upon  in 
days  to  come. 

He  hoped  Narramore  would  keep  his 
promise,  and  was  not  disappointed.  On  the 
verge  of  dusk  his  friend  knocked  and  entered. 

"The  blind  woman  was  at  the  door  below/' 
he  explained,  "  looking  for  somebody." 


3i8  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  It  is  n't  as  absurd  as  it  sounds.  She  does 
look  for  people — with  her  ears.  She  knows  a 
footstep  that  no  one  else  can  hear.  What  were 
you  doing  at  Dudley  yesterday  ?  " 

Narramore  took  his  pipe  out  of  its  case  and 
smiled  over  it. 

"  Colours  well,  does  n't  it  ? "  he  remarked. 
"  You  don't  care  about  the  colouring  of  a  pipe  ? 
I  get  a  lot  of  satisfaction  out  of  such  little 
things !  Lazy  fellows  always  do ;  and  they 
have  the  best  of  life  in  the  end.  By-the-bye, 
what  were  you  doing  at  Dudley  ?  " 

"  Had  to  go  over  with  a  girl." 

"  Rather  a  pretty  girl,  too.  Old  acquaint- 
ance ?  " 

"  Someone  I  got  to  know  in  London.  No, 
no,  not  at  all  what  you  suppose." 

**  Well,  I  know  you  would  n't  talk  about  it. 
It  is  n't  my  way,  either,  to  say  much  about  such 
things.  But  I  half-promised,  not  long  ago,  to 
let  you  know  of  something  that  was  going  on 


EVE 'S  RANSOM.  3 1 9 

— if  it  came  to  anything.  And  it  rather  looks 
as  if  it  might.  What  do  you  think !  Birch- 
ing has  been  at  me,  wanting  to  know  why  I 
don't  call.  I  wonder  whether  the  girl  put  him 
up  to  it  ?  " 

"  You  went  rather  far,  did  n't  you  ?  " 
"  Oh,  I  drew  back  in  time.  Besides,  those 
ideas  are  old-fashioned.  It'll  have  to  be  un- 
derstood that  marriageable  girls  have  nothing 
specially  sacred  about  them.  They  must  asso- 
ciate with  men  on  equal  terms.  The  day  has 
gone  by  for  a  hulking  brother  to  come  asking 
a  man  about  his  '  intentions.'  As  a  rule,  it 's 
the  girl  that  has  intentions.  The  man  is  just 
looking  round,  anxious  to  be  amiable  without 
making  a  fool  of  himself.  We  're  at  a  great 
disadvantage.  A  girl  who  is  n't  an  idiot  can 
very  soon  know  all  about  the  men  who  interest 
her ;  but  it 's  devilish  difficult  to  get  much  in- 
sight into  them — until  you  've  hopelessly  com- 
mitted  yourself — won't    you    smoke  ?       I  *ve 


320  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

something  to  tell  you,  and  I  can't  talk  to  a  man 
who  isn't  smoking,  when  my  own  pipe  's  lit." 

Milliard  obeyed,  and  for  a  few  moments  they 
puffed  in  silence,  twilight  thickening  about 
them. 

"Three  or  four  months  ago,"  resumed  Nar- 
ramore,  "  I  was  told  one  day — at  business — 
that  a  lady  wished  to  see  me.  I  happened  to 
have  the  room  to  myself,  and  told  them  to  show 
the  lady  in.  I  did  n't  in  the  least  know  who  it 
could  be,  and  I  was  surprised  to  see  rather  a 
good-looking  girl — not  exactly  a  lady — tallish, 
and  with  fine  dark  eyes — what  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  Nothing." 

"  A  twinge  of  gout  ?  " 

"  Go  on." 

Narramore  scrutinised  his  friend,  who  spoke 
in  an  unusual  tone. 

"  She  sat  down,  and  began  to  tell  me  that 
she  was  out  of  work — wanted  a  place  as  a  book- 
keeper, or  something  of  the  kind.     Could  I 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  321 

help  her  ?  I  asked  her  why  she  came  to  me. 
She  said  she  had  heard  of  me  from  someone 
who  used  to  be  employed  at  our  place.  That 
was  flattering.  I  showed  my  sense  of  it  Then 
I  asked  her  name,  and  she  said  it  was  Miss 
Madeley." 

A   gust    threw   rain   against   the  windows. 
Narramore  paused,  looking  into  the  fire,  and 
'smiling  thoughtfully. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

"\/OU  foresee  the  course  of  the  narrative  ?  " 

A  "  Better  tell  it  in  detail,"  muttered  Mill- 
iard. 

"  Why  this  severe  tone  ?  Do  you  anticipate 
something  that  will  shock  your  moral  sense  ? 
I  did  n't  think  you  were  so  straitlaced." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say " 

Milliard  was  sitting  upright ;  his  voice  be- 
gan on  a  harsh  tremor,  and  suddenly  failed. 
The  other  gazed  at  him  in  humorous  astonish- 
ment. 

"  What  the  devil  do  you  mean  ?  Even  sup- 
pose— who  made  you  a  judge  and  a  ruler  ? 
This  is  the  most  comical  start  I  Ve  known  for 
a  long  time.     I  was  going  to  tell  you  that  I 

have  made  up  my  mind  to  marry  the  girl." 

322 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  323 

"  I  see — it 's  all  right " 

"  But  do  you  really  mean,"  said  Narramore, 
"  that  anything  else  would  have  aroused  your 
moral  indignation  ?  " 

Milliard  burst  into  a  violent  fit  of  laughter. 
His  pipe  fell  to  the  floor,  and  broke ;  where- 
upon he  interrupted  his  strange  merriment  with 
a  savage  oath. 

"  It  was  a  joke,  then  ?"  remarked  his  friend. 

"Your  monstrous  dulness  shows  the  state 
of  your  mind.  This  is  what  comes  of  getting 
entangled  with  women.  You  need  to  have  a 
sense  of  humour." 

"  I  'm  afraid  there 's  some  truth  in  what  you 
say,  old  boy.  I  've  been  conscious  of  queer 
symptoms  lately — a  disposition  to  take  things 
with  absurd  seriousness,  and  an  unwholesome 
bodily  activity  now  and  then." 

"Go  on  with  your  tragic  story.  The  girl 
asked  you  to  find  her  a  place " 

"  I  promised  to  think  about  it,  but  I  could  n't 


324  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

hear  of  anything  suitable.  She  had  left  her  ad- 
dress with  me,  so  at  length  I  wrote  her  a  line 
just  saying  I  had  n't  forgotten  her.  I  got  an 
answer  on  black-edged  paper.  Miss  Madeley 
wrote  to  tell  me  that  her  father  had  recently 
died,  and  that  she  had  found  employment  at 
Dudley  ;  with  thanks  for  my  kindness — and  so 
on.  It  was  rather  a  nicely  written  letter,  and 
after  a  day  or  two  I  wrote  again.  I  heard 
nothing — hardly  expected  to ;  so  in  a  fort- 
night's time  I  wrote  once  more.  Significant, 
was  n't  it  ?  I  'm  not  fond  of  writing  letters,  as 
you  know.  But  I  've  written  a  good  many 
since  then.  At  last  it  came  to  another  meet- 
ing. I  went  over  to  Dudley  on  purpose,  and 
saw  Miss  Madeley  on  the  Castle  Hill.  I  had 
liked  the  look  of  her  from  the  first,  and  I  liked 
it  still  better  now.  By  dint  of  persuasion,  I 
made  her  tell  me  all  about  herself." 

"  Did  she  tell  you  the  truth  ?  " 

"Why  should  you    suppose   she   didn't?" 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  325 

replied  Narramore  with  some  emphasis.  *'  You 
must  look  at  this  affair  in  a  different  light, 
Hilliard.  A  joke  is  a  joke,  but  I  've  told  you 
that  the  joking  time  has  gone  by.  I  can  make 
allowance  for  you  :  you  think  I  have  been 
making  a  fool  of  myself,  after  all." 

"The  beginning  was  ominous." 

"  The  beginning  of  our  acquaintance  ?  Yes, 
I  know  how  it  strikes  you.  But  she  came  in 
that  way  because  she  had  been  trying  for 
months " 

"  Who  was  it  that  told  her  of  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  one  of  our  girls,  no  doubt.  I  have  n't 
asked  her — never  thought  again  about  it" 

"  And  what 's  her  record  ?  " 

"  Nothing  dramatic  in  it,  I  'm  glad  to  say. 
At  one  time  she  had  an  engagement  in  Lon- 
don for  a  year  or  two.  Her  people,  '  poor  but 
honest ' — as  the  stories  put  it.  Father  was  a 
timekeeper  at  Dudley ;  brother,  a  mechanic 
there.     I  was  over  to  see  her  yesterday ;  we 


326  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

had  only  just  said  good-bye  when  I  met  you. 
She 's  remarkably  well  educated,  all  things 
considered :  very  fond  of  reading  ;  knows  as 
much  of  books  as  I  do — more,  I  daresay. 
First-rate  intelligence  ;  I  guessed  that  from  the 
first.  I  can  see  the  drawbacks,  of  course.  As 
I  said,  she  is  n't  what  you  would  call  a  lady  ; 
but  there  's  nothing  nmch  to  find  fault  with 
even  in  her  manners.  And  the  long  and  the 
short  of  it  is,  I  'm  in  love  with  her." 

"  And  she  has  promised  to  marry  you  ?" 
"  Well,  not  in  so  many  words.     She  seems 
to  have  scruples — difference  of  position,  and 
that  kind  of  thing." 

"  Very  reasonable  scruples,  no  doubt." 
"  Quite  right  that  she  should  think  of  it  in 
that  way,  at  all  events.  But  I  believe  it  was 
practically  settled  yesterday.  She  is  n't  in  very 
brilliant  health,  poor  girl  !  I  want  to  get  her 
away  from  that  beastly  place  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble.    I  shall  give  myself  a  longish  holiday,  and 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  327 

take  her  on  to  the  Continent.  A  thorough 
change  of  that  kind  would  set  her  up  wonder- 
fully." 

"  She  has  never  been  on  to  the  Continent  ?" 

"  What  a  preposterous  question  !  You  're 
going  to  sleep,  sitting  here  in  the  dark.  Oh, 
don't  trouble  to  light  up  for  me  ;  I  can't  stay 
much  longer." 

Milliard  had  risen,  but  instead  of  lighting 
the  lamp  he  turned  to  the  window  and  stood 
there  drumming  with  his  fingers  on  a  pane. 

"  Are  you  seriously  concerned  for  me  ?  "  said 
his  friend.     "  Does  it  seem  a  piece  of   mad- 

"  You  must  judge  for  yourself,  Narramore." 
"  When  you  have  seen  her  I  think  you  '11 
take  my  views.  Of  course  it  's  the  very  last 
thing  I  ever  imagined  myself  doing  ;  but  I  be- 
gin to  see  that  the  talk  about  fate  is  n't  alto- 
gether humbug.  I  want  this  girl  for  my  wife, 
and   I  never  met  any  one  else  whom  I  really 


328  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

did  want.  She  suits  me  exactly.  It  is  n't  as 
if  I  thought  of  marrying  an  ordinary,  ignorant, 
low-class  girl.  Eve — that 's  her  name — is  very 
much  out  of  the  common,  look  at  her  how  you 
may.  She  's  rather  melancholy,  but  that 's  a 
natural  result  of  her  life." 

"No  doubt,  as  you  say,  she  wants  a  thor- 
ough change,"  remarked  Milliard,  smiling  in 
the  gloom. 

"  That 's  it.  Her  nerves  are  out  of  order. 
Well,  I  thought  I  should  like  to  tell  you  this, 
old  chap.  You  '11  get  over  the  shock  in  time. 
I  more  than  half  believe,  still,  that  your  moral 
indignation  was  genuine.  And  why  not  ?  I 
ought  to  respect  you  for  it." 

"  Are  you  going  ?  " 

"  I  must  be  in  Bristol  Road  by  five — prom- 
ised to  drink  a  cup  of  Mrs.  Stocker's  tea  this 
afternoon.  I  'm  glad  now  that  I  have  kept  up 
a  few  homely  acquaintances  ;  they  may  be  use- 
ful.    Of  course  I  shall  throw  over  the  Birch- 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  329 

ings  and  that  lot.  You  see  now  why  my 
thoughts  have  been  running  on  a  country 
house ! " 

He  went  off  laughing,  and  his  friend  sat 
down  again  by  the  fireside. 

Half  an  hour  passed.  The  fire  had  burnt  low, 
and  the  room  was  quite  dark.  At  length,  Hill- 
iard  bestirred  himself.  He  lit  the  lamp,  drew 
down  the  blind,  and  seated  himself  at  the  table 
to  write.  With  great  rapidity  he  covered  four 
sides  of  note-paper,  and  addressed  an  envelope. 
But  he  had  no  postage-stamp.  It  could  be 
obtained  at  a  tobacconist's. 

So  he  went  out,  and  turned  towards  a  little 
shop  hard  by.  But  when  he  had  stamped  the 
letter  he  felt  undecided  about  posting  it.  Eve 
had  promised  to  come  to-morrow  with  Patty. 
If  she  again  failed  him  it  would  be  time  enough 
to  write.  If  she  kept  her  promise  the  presence 
of  a  third  person  would  be  an  intolerable  re- 
straint upon  him.     Yet  why  ?     Patty  might  as 


330  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

well  know  all,  and  act  as  judge  between  them. 
There  needed  little  sagacity  to  arbitrate  in  a 
matter  such  as  this. 

To  sit  at  home  was  impossible.  He  walked 
for  the  sake  of  walking,  straight  on,  without 
object.  Down  the  long  gas-lit  perspective  of 
Bradford  Street,  with  its  closed,  silent  work- 
shops, across  the  miserable  little  river  Rea — 
canal  rather  than  river,  sewer  rather  than  canal 
— up  the  steep  ascent  to  St.  Martin's  and  the 
Bull  Ring,  and  the  bronze  Nelson,  dripping 
with  dirty  moisture  ;  between  the  big  buildings 
of  New  Street,  and  so  to  the  centre  of  the 
town.  At  the  corner  by  the  Post  Office  he 
stood  in  idle  contemplation.  Rain  was  still 
falling,  but  lightly.  The  great  open  space 
gleamed  with  shafts  of  yellow  radiance  reflected 
on  wet  asphalt  from  the  numerous  lamps. 
There  was  little  traffic.  An  omnibus  clattered 
by,  and  a  tottery  cab,  both  looking  rain-soaked. 
Near  the  statue  of   Peel  stood  a  hansom,  the 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  331 

forlorn  horse  crooking  his  knees  and  hanging 
his  hopeless  head.  The  Town  Hall  colonnade 
sheltered  a  crowd  of  people,  who  were  waiting 
for  the  rain  to  stop,  that  they  might  spend 
their  Sunday  evening,  as  usjial,  in  rambling 
about  the  streets.  Within  the  building,  which 
showed  light  through  all  its  long  windows,  a 
religious  meeting  was  in  progress,  and  hun- 
dreds of  voices  peeled  forth  a  rousing  hymn, 
fortified  with  deeper  organ-note. 

Milliard  noticed  that  as  rain-drops  fell  on 
the  heated  globes  of  the  street-lamps  they  were 
thrown  off  again  in  little  jets  and  puffs  of 
steam.  This  phenomenon  amused  him  for 
several  minutes.  He  wondered  that  he  had 
never  observed  it  before. 

Easter  Sunday.  The  day  had  its  importance 
for  a  Christian  mind.  Did  Eve  think  about 
that  ?  Perhaps  her  association  with  him,  care- 
less as  he  was  in  all  such  matters,  had  helped 
to  blunt  her  religious  feeling.     Yet  what  hope 


332  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

was  there,  in  such  a  world  as  this,  that  she 
would  retain  the  pieties  of  her  girlhood  ? 

Easter  Sunday.  As  he  walked  on,  he  pon- 
dered the  Christian  story,  and  tried  to  make 
something  out  of  it.  Had  it  any  significance 
for  him?  Perhaps,  for  he  had  never  con- 
sciously discarded  the  old  faith  ;  he  had  simply 
let  it  fall  out  of  his  mind.  But  a  woman  ought 
to  have  religious  convictions.  Yes  ;  he  saw 
the  necessity  of  that.  Better  for  him  if  Eve 
were  in  the  Town  Hall  yonder,  joining  her 
voice  with  those  that  sang. 

Better  for  him.  A  selfish  point  of  view. 
But  the  advantage  would  be  hers  also.  Did  he 
not  desire  her  happiness  ?  He  tried  to  think 
so,  but  after  all  was  ashamed  to  play  the  soph- 
ist with  himself.  The  letter  he  carried  in  his 
pocket  told  the  truth.  He  had  but  to  think  of 
her  as  married  to  Robert  Narramore  and  the 
jealous  fury  of  natural  man  drove  him  headlong. 

Monday  was  again  a  holiday.     When  would 


EVE'S  RANSOM,  333 

the  cursed  people  get  back  to  their  toil,  and  let 
the  world  resume  its  wonted  grind  and  clang  ? 
They  seemed  to  have  been  making  holiday  for 
a  month  past. 

He  walked  up  and  down  on  the  pavement 
near  his  door,  until  at  the  street  corner  there 
appeared  a  figure  he  knew.  It  was  Patty  Ring- 
rose,  again  unaccompanied. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

THEY  shook  hands  without  a  word,  their 
eyes  meeting  for  an  instant  only.  Hill- 
iard  led  the  way  upstairs  ;  and  Patty,  still  keep- 
ing an  embarrassed  silence,  sat  down  on  the 
easy-chair.  Her  complexion  was  as  noticeably 
fresh  as  Hilliard's  was  wan  and  fatigued. 
Where  Patty's  skin  showed  a  dimple,  his  bore 
a  gash,  the  result  of  an  accident  in  shaving  this 
morning. 

With  hands  behind  he  stood  in  front  of  the 
girl. 

"  She  chose  not  to  come,  then  ?  " 
"  Yes.     She  asked  me  to  come  and  see  you 
alone." 

"  No  pretence  of  headache  this  time." 

"  I  don't  think  it  was  a  pretence,"  faltered 

334 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  335 

Patty,  who  looked  very  ill  at  ease,  for  all  the 
bloom  on  her  cheeks  and  the  clear,  childish 
light  in  her  eyes. 

"  Well,  then,  why  has  n't  she  come  to-day  ?  " 

"  She  has  sent  a  letter  for  you,  Mr.  HilHard." 

Patty  handed  the  missive,  and  Hilliard  laid 
it  upon  the  table. 

"  Am  I  to  read  it  now  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  's  a  long  letter." 

"  Feels  like  it.  I  '11  study  it  at  my  leisure. 
You  know  what  it  contains  ?  " 

Patty  nodded,  her  face  turned  away. 

"  And  why  has  she  chosen  to-day  to  write 
to  me  ?  "  Patty  kept  silence.  "  Anything  to 
do  with  the  call  I  had  yesterday  from  my 
friend  Narramore  ?  " 

*'  Yes — that  's  the  reason.  But  she  has 
meant  to  let  you  know  for  some  time." 

Hilliard  drew  a  long  breath.     He  fixed  his 

eyes  on  the  letter. 

"  She  has  told  me  everything,"  the  girl  con- 
22 


33^  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

tinued,  speaking  hurriedly.  "  Did  you  know 
about  it  before  yesterday  ?  " 

"  I  'm  not  so  good  an  actor  as  all  that.  Eve 
has  the  advantage  of  me  in  that  respect.  She 
really  thought  it  possible  that  Narramore  had 
spoken  before  ?  " 

"  She  could  n't  be  sure." 

**  H'm  !  Then  she  did  n't  know  for  certain 
that  Narramore  was  going  to  talk  to  me  about 
her  yesterday  ?  " 

"  She  knew  it  must  come." 

"  Patty,  our  friend  Miss  Madeley  is  a  very 
sensible  person — don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  You  must  n't  think  she  made  a  plan  to  de- 
ceive you.  She  tells  you  all  about  it  in  the 
letter,  and  I  'm  quite  sure  it 's  all  true,  Mr. 
Hilliard.  I  was  astonished  when  I  heard  of 
it,  and  I  can't  tell  you  how  sorry  I  feel " 

"  I  'm  not  at  all  sure  that  there  's  any  cause 
for  sorrow,"  Hilliard  interrupted,  drawing  up 
a  chair  and  throwing  himself  upon  it.  "  Un- 
less you  mean  that  you  are  sorry  for  Eve." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  337 

"  I  meant  that  as  well." 

"  Let  us  understand  each  other.  How  much 
has  she  told  you  ?  " 

"  Everything,  from  beginning  to  end.  I  had 
no  idea  of  what  happened  in  London  before 
we  went  to  Paris.  And  she  does  so  repent  of 
it!  She  doesn't  know  how  she  could  do  it 
She  wishes  you  had  refused  her." 

"  So  do  L" 

"  But  you  saved  her — she  can  never  forget 
that.  You  must  n't  think  that  she  only  pre- 
tends to  be  grateful.  She  will  be  grateful  to 
you  as  long  as  she  lives.     I  know  she  will." 

"  On  condition  that  I — what?" 

Patty  gave  him  a  bewildered  look. 

"  What  does  she  ask  of  me  now  ?" 

"  She  's  ashamed  to  ask  anything.  She  fears 
you  will  never  speak  to  her  again." 

Milliard  meditated,  then  glanced  at  the 
letter. 

"  I  had  better  read  this  now,  I  think,  if  you 
will  let  me." 


338  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  Yes — please  do " 

He  fore  open  the  envelope,  and  disclosed 
two  sheets  of  note-paper,  covered  with  writing. 
For  several  minutes  there  was  silence  ;  Patty 
now  and  then  gave  a  furtive  glance  at  her 
companion's  face  as  he  was  reading.  At 
length  he  put  the  letter  down  again,  softly. 

"  There 's  something  more  here  than  I  ex- 
pected. Can  you  tell  me  whether  she  heard 
from  Narramore  this  morning  ?  " 

"  She  has  had  no  letter." 

"  I  see.  And  what  does  she  suppose  passed 
between  Narramore  and  me  yesterday  ? " 

"  She  is  wondering  what  you  told  him." 

"  She  takes  it  for  granted,  in  this  letter,  that 
I  have  put  an  end  to  everything  between  them. 
Well,  had  n't  I  a  right  to  do  so  ?  " 

"  Of  course  you  had,"  Patty  replied,  with 
emphasis.  "  And  she  knew  it  must  come. 
She  never  really  thought  that  she  could  marry 
Mr.  Narramore.     She  gave  him  no  promise." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  339 

"  Only  corresponded  with  him,  and  made 
appointments  with  him,  and  allowed  him  to 
feel  sure  that  she  would  be  his  wife." 

"  Eve  has  behaved  very  strangely.  I  can't 
understand  her.  She  ought  to  have  told  you 
that  she  had  been  to  see  him,  and  that  he 
wrote  to  her.  It 's  always  best  to  be  straight- 
forward. See  what  trouble  she  has  got  her- 
self into  ! " 

Hilliard  took  up  the  letter  again,  and 
again  there  was  a  long  silence. 

"  Have  you  said  good-bye  to  her?"  were  his 
next  words. 

"  She  's  going  to  meet  me  at  the  station  to 
see  me  off." 

"Did  she  come  from  Dudley  with  you  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  It 's  all  very  well  to  make  use  of  you 
for  this  disagreeable  business " 

"  Oh,  I  did  n't  mind  it ! "  broke  in  Patty,  with 
irrelevant  cheerfulness. 


340  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"A  woman  who  does  such  things  as  this 
should  have  the  courage  to  go  through  with  it. 
She  ought  to  have  come  herself,  and  have  told 
me  that.  She  was  aiming  at  much  better 
things  than  /could  have  promised  her.  There 
would  have  been  something  to  admire  in  that. 
The  worst  of  it  is  she  is  making  me  feel 
ashamed  of  her.  I  'd  rather  have  to  do  with 
a  woman  who  did  n't  care  a  rap  for  my  feel- 
ings than  with  a  weak  one,  who  tried  to  spare 
me  to  advantage  herself  at  the  same  time. 
There 's  nothing  like  courage,  whether  in  good 
or  evil.  What  do  you  think  ?  Does  she  like 
Narramore  ?  " 

"  I  think  she  does,"  faltered  Patty,  nervously 
striking  her  dress. 

"  Is  she  in  love  with  him  ?  " 

"  I— I  really  don't  know  ! " 

"  Do  you  think  she  ever  was  in  love  with 
anyone,  or  ever  will  be  ?  " 

Patty  sat  mute. 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  341 

"  Just  tell  me  what  you  think." 

"  I  *m  afraid  she  never — Oh,  I  don't  like  to 
say  it,  Mr.  Milliard!" 

"  That  she  never  was  in  love  with  me  ?  I 
know  it." 

His  tone  caused  Patty  to  look  up  at  him, 
and  what  she  saw  in  his  face  made  her  say 
quickly  : 

"  I  am  so  sorry ;  I  am  indeed !  You  de- 
serve  " 

"  Never  mind  what  I  deserve,"  Hilliard 
interrupted  with  a  grim  smile.  **  Something 
less  than  hanging,  I  hope.  That  fellow  in 
London  ;  she  was  fond  of  him  ?  " 

The  girl  whispered  an  assent. 

"  A  pity  I  interfered." 

"  Ah  !     But  think  what " 

"  We  won't  discuss  it,  Patty.  It 's  a  horrible 
thing  to  be  mad  about  a  girl  who  cares  no 
more  for  you  than  for  an  old  glove ;  but  it 's  a 
fool's  part  to  try  to  win   her  by  the  way  of 


342  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

gratitude.  When  we  came  back  from  Paris  I 
ought  to  have  gone  my  way,  and  left  her  to  go 
hers.  #  Perhaps  just  possible — if  I  had  seemed 
to  think  no  more  of  her " 

Patty  waited,  but  he  did  not  finish  his 
speech. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  Mr.  Hilliard  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that 's  the  question.  Shall  I  hold  her 
to  her  promise  ?  She  says  here  that  she  will 
keep  her  word  if  I  demand  it." 

"  She  says  that  ! "  Patty  exclaimed,  with 
startled  eyes. 

"  Didn't  you  know?" 

"  She  told  me  it  was  impossible.  But  per- 
haps she  did  n't  mean  it.  Who  can  tell  what 
she  means  ?  " 

For  the  first  time  there  sounded  a  petulance 
in  the  girl's  voice.  Her  lips  closed  tightly, 
and  she  tapped  with  her  foot  on  the  floor. 

"  Did  she  say  that  the  other  thing  was  also 
impossible — to  marry  Narramore  ?  " 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  343 

"  She  thinks  it  is,  after  what   you  've  told 

him." 

* 

"  Well,  now,  as  a  matter  of  fact  I  told  him 
nothing." 

Patty  stared,  a  new  light  in  her  eyes. 

"  You  told  him — nothing?" 

"  I  just  let  him  suppose  that  I  had  never 
heard  the  girl's  name  before." 

"  Oh,  how  kind  of  you  !    How " 

"Please  to  remember  that  it  wasn't  very 
easy  to  tell  the  truth.  What  sort  of  figure 
should  I  have  made?" 

"It's  too  bad  of  Eve!  It's  cruel!  I  can 
never  like  her  as  I  did  before." 

"  Oh,  she  's  very  interesting.  She  gives  one 
such  a  lot  to  talk  about." 

"  I  don't  like  her,  and  I  shall  tell  her  so 
before  I  leave  Birmingham.  What  right  has 
she  to  make  people  so  miserable  ?  " 

"  Only  one,  after  all." 

"  Do    you    mean    that    you    will    let    her 


344  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

marry  Mr.  Narramore?"  Patty  asked  with 
interest. 

"We  shall  have  to  talk  about  that." 

**  If  I  were  you  I  should  never  see  her 
again  ! " 

"  The  probability  is  that  we  shall  see  each 
other  many  a  time." 

"  Then  you  have  n't  much  courage,  Mr. 
Milliard !  "  exclaimed  the  girl,  with  a  flush  on 
her  cheeks. 

"  More  than  you  think,  perhaps,"  he  an- 
swered between  his  teeth. 

"  Men  are  very  strange,"  Patty  commented 
in  a  low  voice  of  scorn,  mitigated  by  timidity. 

"  Yes,  we  play  queer  pranks  when  a  woman 
has  made  a  slave  of  us.  I  suppose  you  think 
I  should  have  too  much  pride  to  care  any 
more  for  her.  The  truth  is  that  for  years  to 
come  I  shall  tremble  all  through  whenever  she 
is  near  me.  Such  love  as  I  have  felt  for  Eve 
won't  be  trampled  out  like  a  spark.     It 's  the 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  345 

best  and  the  worst  part  of  my  life.  No 
woman  can  ever  be  to  me  what  Eve  is." 

Abashed  by  the  grave  force  of  this  utter- 
ance, Patty  shrank  back  into  the  chair,  and 
held  her  peace. 

"  You  will  very  soon  know  what  comes  of  it 
all,"  Milliard  continued  with  a  sudden  change 
of  voice.  "It  has  to  be  decided  pretty  quickly, 
one  way  or  another." 

"  May  I  tell  Eve  what  you  have  said  to  me  ?  " 
the  girl  asked  with  diffidence. 

"  Yes,  anything  that  I  have  said." 

Patty  lingered  a  little,  then,  as  her  compan- 
ion said  no  more,  she  rose. 

'•  I  must  say  good-bye,  Mr.  Hilliard." 

"  I  am  afraid  your  holiday  has  n't  been  as 
pleasant  as  you  expected." 

"  Oh,  I  have  enjoyed  myself  very  much. 
And  I  hope  " — her  voice  wavered — *'  I  do  hope 
it  '11  be  all  right.  I  'm  sure  you  '11  do  what 
seems  best" 


346  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  I  shall  do  what  I  find  myself  obliged  to, 
Patty.  Good-bye.  I  won't  offer  to  go  with 
you,  for  I  should  be  poor  company." 

He  conducted  her  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs, 
again  shook  hands  with  her,  put  all  his  good- 
will into  a  smile,  and  watched  her  trip  away 
with  a  step  not  so  light  as  usual.  Then  he 
returned  to  Eve's  letter.  It  gave  him  a  de- 
tailed account  of  her  relations  with  Narramore. 
"  I  went  to  him  because  I  could  n't  bear  to 
live  idle  any  longer ;  I  had  no  other  thought 
in  my  mind.  If  he  had  been  the  means  of  my 
finding  work,  I  should  have  confessed  it  to  you 
at  once.  But  I  was  tempted  into  answering 
his  letters.  ...  I  knew  I  was  behaving 
wrongly ;  I  can't  defend  myself.  ...  I 
have  never  concealed  my  faults  from  you — the 
greatest  of  them  is  my  fear  of  poverty.  I  be- 
lieve it  is  this  that  has  prevented  me  from 
returning  your  love  as  I  wished  to  do.  For  a 
long  time  I  have  been  playing  a  deceitful  part, 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  347 

and'the  strange  thing  is  that  I  knew  my  expos- 
ure might  come  at  any  moment.  I  seem  to 
have  been  led  on  by  a  sort  of  despair.  Now  I 
am  tired  of  it ;  whether  you  were  prepared  for 
this  or  not,  I  must  tell  you.  ...  I  don't 
ask  you  to  release  me.  I  have  been  wronging 
you  and  acting  against  my  conscience,  and  if 
you  can  forgive  me  I  will  try  to  make  up  for 
the  ill  I  have  done.     .     .     ." 

How  much  of  this  could  he  believe  ?  Gladly 
he  would  have  fooled  himself  into  believing  it 
all,  but  the  rational  soul  in  him  cast  out  cred- 
ulity. Every  phrase  of  the  letter  was  calculated 
for  its  impression.  And  the  very  risk  she  had 
run,  was  not  that  too  a  matter  of  deliberate 
speculation  ?  She  might  succeed  in  her  design 
upon  Narramore  ;  if  she  failed,  the  poorer  man 
was  still  to  be  counted  upon,  for  she  knew  the 
extent  of  her  power  over  him.  It  was  worth 
the  endeavour.  Perhaps,  in  her  insolent  self- 
confidence,  she  did  not  fear  the  effect  on  Nar- 


348  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

ramore  of  the  disclosure  that  might  be  made 
to  him.  And  who  could  say  that  her  boldness 
was  not  likely  to  be  justified  ? 
.  He  burned  with  wrath  against  her,  the  wrath 
of  a  hopelessly  infatuated  man.  Thoughts  of 
revenge,  no  matter  how  ignoble,  harassed  his 
mind.  She  counted  on  his  slavish  spirit,  and 
even  in  saying  that  she  did  not  ask  him  to 
release  her,  she  saw  herself  already  released. 
At  each  reperusal  of  her  letter  he  felt  more 
resolved  to  disappoint  the  hope  that  in- 
spired it.  When  she  learnt  from  Patty  that 
Narramore  was  still  ignorant  of  her  history, 
how  would  she  exult !  But  that  joy  should  be 
brief.  In  the  name  of  common  honesty  he 
would  protect  his  friend.     If  Narramore  chose 

to  take  her  with  his  eyes  open 

Jealous  frenzy  kept  him  pacing  the  room  for 
an  hour  or  two.  Then  he  went  forth  and 
haunted  the  neighbourhood  of  New  Street 
station  until  within  five  minutes  of  the  time  of 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  349 

departure  of  Patty's  train.  If  Eve  kept  her 
promise  to  see  the  girl  off  he  might  surprise 
her  upon  the  platform. 

From  the  bridge  crossing  the  lines  he  sur- 
veyed the  crowd  of  people  that  waited  by  the 
London  train,  a  bank-holiday  train  taking  back 
a  freight  of  excursionists.  There-amid  he  dis- 
covered Eve,  noted  her  position,  descended  to 
the  platform,  and  got  as  near  to  her  as  possible. 
The  train  moved  off.  As  Eve  turned  away 
among  the  dispersing  people,  he  stepped  to 
meet  her. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

SHE  gave  no  sign  of  surprise.  Hilliard 
read  in  her  face  that  she  had  prepared 
herself  for  this  encounter. 

"  Come  away  where  we  can  talk,"  he  said 
abruptly. 

She  walked  by  him  to  a  part  of  the  station 
where  only  a  porter  passed  occasionally.  The 
echoings  beneath  the  vaulted  roof  allowed 
them  to  speak  without  constraint,  for  their 
voices  were  inaudible  a  yard  or  two  off.  Hill- 
iard would  not  look  into  her  face,  lest  he  should 
be  softened  to  foolish  clemency. 

"It  's  very  kind  of  you,"  he  began,  with  no 

clear  purpose  save  the  desire  of  harsh  speech, 

"  to  ask  me  to  overlook  this  trifle,  and  let  things 

be  as  before." 

350 


:^VE'S  kANSOM.  35-1 

"  I  have  said  all  I  can  say  in  the  letter.  I 
deserve  all  your  anger." 

That  was  the  note  he  dreaded,  the  too  well 
remembered  note  of  pathetic  submission.  It 
reminded  him  with  intolerable  force  that  he 
had  never  held  her  by  any  bond  save  that  of 
her  gratitude. 

"Do  you  really  imagine,"  he  exclaimed,  "  that 
I  could  go  on  with  make-believe — that  I  could 
bring  myself  to  put  faith  in  you  again  for  a 
moment  ?  " 

"  I  don't  ask  you  to,"  Eve  replied,  in  firmer 
accents.  "I  have  lost  what  little  respect  you 
could  ever  feel  for  me.  I  might  have  repaid 
you  with  honesty — I  did  n't  do  even  that  Say 
the  worst  you  can  of  me,  and  I  shall  think  still 
worse  of  myself." 

The  voice  overcame  him  with  a  conviction  of 
her  sincerity,  and  he  gazed  at  her,  marvelling. 

"Are  you  honest  nozu  f  Anyone  would  thrnk 
so  ;  yet  how  am  I  to  believe  it  ?  "  -- 

23 


35  2  EVE 'S  RANSOM, 

Eve  met  his  eyes  steadily. 

"  I  will  never  again  say  one  word  to  you 
that  is  n't  pure  truth.  I  am  at  your  mercy, 
and  you  may  punish  me  as  you  like." 

"  There  *s  only  one  way  in  which  I  can  pun- 
ish you.  For  the  loss  of  my  respect,  or  of  my 
love,  you  care  nothing.  If  I  bring  myself  to 
tell  Narramore  disagreeable  things  about  you, 
you  will  suffer  a  disappointment,  and  that 's 
all.  The  cost  to  me  will  be  much  greater,  and 
you  know  it.  You  pity  yourself.  You  regard 
me  as  holding  you  ungenerously  by  an  advan- 
tage you  once  gave  me.  It  is  n't  so  at  all.  It 
is  I  who  have  been  held  by  bonds  I  could  n't 
break,  and  from  the  day  when  you  pretended  a 
love  you  never  felt,  all  the  blame  lay  with  you." 

"  What  could  I  do  ?  " 

"  Be  truthful — that  was  all." 

"  You  were  not  content  with  the  truth.  You 
forced  me  to  think  that  I  could  love  you.  Only 
remember  what  passed  between  us." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  353 

**  Honesty  was  still  possible,  when  you  came 
to  know  yourself  better.  You  should  have 
said  to  me  in  so  many  words  :  *  I  can't  look 
forward  to  our  future  with  any  courage ;  if  I 
marry  it  must  be  a  man  who  has  more  to  offer.' 
Do  you  think  I  could  n't  have  endured  to  hear 
that  ?  You  have  never  understood  me.  I 
should  have  said  :  *  Then  let  us  shake  hands, 
and  I  am  your  friend  to  help  you  all  I 
can. 

"  You  say  that  now " 

"  I  should  have  said  it  at  any  time." 
"  But  I  am  not  so  mean  as  you  think  me. 
If   I  loved  a  man  I  could  face  poverty  with 
him,  much  as  I  hate  and  dread  it.     It  was  be- 
cause   I    only  liked  you,  and   could  not  feel 

more " 

"  Your  love  happens  to  fall  upon  a  man  who 
has  solid  possessions." 

"  It 's  easy  to  speak  so  scornfully.  I  have 
not  pretended  to  love  the  man  you  mean." 


35  4  EVE 'S  RANSOM. 

"  Yet  you  have  brought  him  to  think  that 
you  are  willing  to  marry  him."  ^'^ 

"  Without  any  word  of  love  from  me.  If  I 
had  been  free  I  would  have  married  him — ^just 
because  I  am  sick  of  the  life  I  lead,  and  long 
for  the  kind  of  life  he  offered  me." 

"  When  it's  too  late  you  are  frank  enough.'* 

"  Despise  me  as  much  as  you  like.  You 
"vyant  the  truth,  and  you  shall  hear  nothing  else 
from  me."  ■ 

"  Well,  we  get  near  to  understanding  each 
other.  But  it  astonishes  me  that  you  spdilt 
your  excellent  chance.  How  could  you  hope 
to  carry  through  this ?" 

Eve  broke  in  impatiently. 

"  I  told  you  in  the  letter  that  I  had  no  hope 
of  it.  It's  your  mistake  to  think  me  a  crafty, 
plotting,  selfish  woman.  I  'm  only  a  very  mis- 
erable one — it  went  on  from  this  to  that,  and 
I  meant  nothing.  I  did  n't  scheme  ;  I  was  only 
tempted  into  foolishness.     I  felt  myself  getting^ 


EVE  '^  RANSOM.  355 

into  difficulties  that  would  be  my  ruin,  but  I 
had  n't  strength  to  draw  back." 

"You  do  yourself  injustice,"  said  Milliard, 
coldly.  "  For  the  past  month  you  have  acted 
a  part  before  me,  and  acted  it  well.  You 
seemed  to  be  reconciling  yourself  to  my  pros- 
pects, indifferent  as  they  were.  You  encour- 
aged me — talked  with  unusual  cheerfulness — : 
showed  a  bright  face.  If  this  was  n't  deliber- 
ate acting  what  did  it  mean  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  put  on,"  Eve  admitted,  after  a 
pause.  "  But  I  could  n't  help  that.  I  was 
obliged  to  keep  seeing  you,  and  if  I  had  looked 

as  miserable  as  I  felt "  She  broke  off.     "  I 

tried  to  behave  just  like  a  friend.  You  can't 
charge  me  with  pretending — anything  else.  I 
could  be  your  friend  :  that  was  honest  feeling." 

"  It 's  no  use  to  me.  I  must  have  more,  or 
nothing." 

The  flood  of  passion  surged  in  him  again. 
Some  trick  of  her  voice,  or  some  indescribably 


356  EVE*S  RANSOM. 

movement  of  her  head — the  trifles  which  are 
all-powerful  over  a  man  in  love — ^beat  down  his 
contending  reason. 

"  You  say,"  he  continued,  "  that  you  will 
make  amends  for  your  unfair  dealing.  If  you 
mean  it,  take  the  only  course  that  shows  itself. 
Confess  to  Narramore  what  you  have  done  ; 
you  owe  it  to  him  as  much  as  to  me." 

"  I  can't  do  that,"  said  Eve,  drawing  away. 
"  It's  for  you  to  tell  him — if  you  like." 

"No.  I  had  my  opportunity,  and  let  it  pass. 
I  don't  mean  that  you  are  to  inform  him  of  all 
there  has  been  between  us  ;  that 's  needless. 
We  have  agreed  to  forget  everything  that 
suggests  the  word  I  hate.  But  that  you  and  I 
have  been  lovers  and  looked — I,  at  all  events 
— to  be  something  more,  this  you  must  let  him 
know." 

"  I  can  never  do  that." 

"  Without  it,  how  are  you  to  disentangle 
yourself  ?  " 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  357 

"  I  promise  you  he  shall  see  no  more  of 
me. 

"  Such  a  promise  is  idle,  and  you  know  it. 
Remember,  too,  that  Narramore  and  I  are 
friends.  He  will  speak  to  me  of  you,  and  I 
can't  play  a  farce  with  him.  It  would  be  in- 
tolerable discomfort  to  me,  and  grossly  unfair 
to  him.  Do,  for  once,  the  simple,  honourable 
thing,  and  make  a  new  beginning.  After  that, 
be  guided  by  your  own  interests.  Assuredly 
I  shall  not  stand  in  your  way." 

Eve  had  turned  her  eyes  in  the  direction  of 
crowd  and  bustle.  When  she  faced  Hilliard 
again,  he  saw  that  she  had  come  to  a  resolve. 

"  There  's  only  one  way  out  of  it  for  me," 
she  said  impulsively.  "  I  can't  talk  any  longer. 
I  '11  write  to  you." 

She  moved  from  him  ;  Milliard  followed. 
At  a  distance  of  half-a-dozen  yards,  just  as  he 
was  about  to  address  her  again,  she  stopped 
and  spoke — 


35»  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"You  hate  to  hear  me  talk  of "* gratitude.' 
I  have  always  meant  by  it  less  than  you  thought. 
I  was  grateful  for  the  money,  not  for  anything 
else.  When  you  took  me  away,  perhaps  it  was 
the  unkindest  thing  you  could  have  done." 

An  unwonted  vehemence  shook  her  voice. 
Her  muscles  were  tense  ;  she  stood  in  an  atti- 
tude of  rebellious  pride. 

"If  I  had  been  true  to  myself  then But 

it  is  n't  too  late.  If  I  am  to  act  honestly,  I" 
know  very  well  Avhat  I  must  do.  I  will  take; 
your  advice." 

Milliard  could  not  doubt  of  her  meaning. 
He  remembered  his  last  talk  with  Patty.  This 
was  a  declaration  he  had  not  foreseen,  and  it 
affected  him  otherwise  than  he  could  have 
anticipated. 

"My  advice  had  nothing  to  do  with  that" 
was  his  answer,  as  he  read  her  face.     "  But  I 
shall  say  not  a  word  against  it.     I  could  respect- 
you,  at  all  events."  '    ,: 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  35^ ; 

"Yes,  and  I  had  rather  have  your  respect 
than  your  love." 

With  that,  she  left  him.  He  wished  to  pur- 
sue, but  a  physical  languor  held  him  motionless. 
And  when  at  length  he  sauntered  from  the 
place,  it  was  with  a  sense  of  satisfaction  at 
what  had  happened.  Let  her  carry  out  that 
purpose :  he  faced  it,  preferred  it.  Let  her 
be  lost  to  him  in  that  way  rather  than  any 
other.  It  cut  the  knot,  and  left  him  with  a 
memory  of  Eve  that  would  not  efface  her  dis- 
honouring weakness. 

Late  at  night,  he  walked  about  the  streets 
near  his  home,  debating  with  himself  whether 
she  would  act  as  she  spoke,  or  had  only  sought 
to  frighten  him  with  a  threat.  And  still  he 
hoped  that  her  resolve  was  sincere.  He  could 
bear  that  conclusion  of  their  story  better  than 
any  other — unless  it  were  her  death.  Better  a 
thousand  times  than  her  marriage  with  Narra- 
inore  !  -''-"■  ^-  j 


36o  EVE'S  RANSOM, 

In  the  morning,  fatigue  gave  voice  to  con- 
science. He  had  bidden  her  go,  when,  per- 
chance, a  word  would  have  checked  her. 
Should  he  write,  or  even  go  to  her  straightway 
and  retract  what  he  had  said  ?  His  will  pre- 
vailed, and  he  did  nothing. 

The  night  that  followed  plagued  him  with 
other  misgivings.  It  seemed  more  probable 
now  that  she  had  threatened  what  she  would 
never  have  the  courage  to  perform.  She 
meant  it  at  the  moment — it  declared  a  truth  ; 
but  an  hour  after  she  would  listen  to  common- 
place morality  or  prudence.  Narramore  would 
write  to  her ;  she  might,  perhaps,  see  him 
again.     She  would  cling  to  the  baser  hope. 

Might  but  the  morrow  bring  him  a  letter 
from  London  ! 

It  brought  nothing ;  and  day  after  day  dis- 
appointed him.  More  than  a  week  passed ; 
he  was  ill  with  suspense,  but  could  take  no 
step  for  setting  his  mind  at  rest.     Then,  as  he 


EVE'S  HANSOM.  361 

sat  one  morning  at  his  work  in  the  architect's 
office,  there  arrived  a  telegram  addressed  to 
him — 

"  I  must  see  you  as  soon  as  possible.     Be 
here  before  six. — Narramore." 


CHAPTER  XXVi: 


WHAT  the  devil  does  this  mean,  Mill- 
iard ?" 

If  never  before,  the  indolent  man  was  now 
thoroughly  aroused.  He  had  an  open  letter 
in  his  hand.  Hilliard,  standing  before  him  in 
a  little  office  that  smelt  of  ledgers  and  gum, 
and  many  other  commercial  things,  knew  that 
the  letter  must  be  from  Eve,  and  savagely 
hoped  that  it  was  dated  London. 

"This  is  from  Miss  Madeley,  and  it's  all 
about  you.  Why  couldn't  you  speak  the 
other  day  ?  " 

"  What  does  she  say  about  me  ?  " 

"  That  she  has  known  you  for  a  long  time  ; 
that  you   saw  a  great  deal  of  each  other  in 

London  ;  that  she  has  led  you  on  with  a  hope 

362 


EVE'S  RANSOM^-  ^x 

of  marrying  her,  though  she  never  really  meant 
it ;  in  shbrt/that  she  has  used  you  very  ill,  and 
feels  obliged  now  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  it.'* 
The  listener  fixed  his  eye  upon  a  copying- 
press,  but  without  seeing  it.  A  grim  smile  be- 
gan to  contort  his  lips. 

"  Where  does  she  write  from  ?"  J" 

"  From  her  ordinary  address — why  not?  '  I 
think  this  is  rather  too  bad  of  you.  Why 
did  n't  you  speak,  instead  of  writhing  about 
and  sputtering?  That  kind  of  thing  is  all 
very  well — sense  of  honour  and  ail  that — but 
it  meant  that  I  was  being  taken  in.  Between 
friends— hang  it !  Of  course  I  have  done  with 
hfer.  I  shall  write  at  once.  It's  amazing;  it 
took  away  my  breath.  No  doubt,  though  she 
does  n't  say  it,  it  was  from  you  that  she  came 
to  know  of  me.  She  began  with  a  lie.  And 
who  the  devil  could  have  thought  it !  Her 
face — her  way  of  talking !  This  will  cut  me 
upi awfully.     Of  course,  I  'm  sorry  for  you,  too. 


364  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

but  it  was  your  plain  duty  to  let  me  know  what 
sort  of  a  woman  I  had  got  hold  of.  Nay,  it 's 
she  that  has  got  hold  of  me,  confound  her !  I 
don't  feel  myself !  I  'm  thoroughly  knocked 
over!" 

Hilliard  began  humming  an  air.  He  crossed 
the  room  and  sat  down. 

"  Have  you  seen  her  since  that  Saturday?" 

"  No ;  she  has  made  excuses,  and  I  guessed 
something  was  wrong.  What  has  been  going 
on  ?     You  have  seen  her  ? 

"  Of  course." 

Narramore  glared. 

"  It 's  devilish  underhand  behaviour  !  Look 
here,  old  fellow,  we're  not  going  to  quarrel. 
No  woman  is  worth  a  quarrel  between  two 
old  friends.  But  just  speak  out — can't  you  ? 
What  did  you  mean  by  keeping  it  from  me  ?  " 

"It  meant  that  I  had  nothing  to  say,"  Hill- 
iard replied,  through  his  moustache. 

"  You  kept  silence  out  of  spite,  then  ?     You 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  365 

said  to  yourself,  *  Let  him  marry  her  and  find 
out  afterwards  what  she  really  is  ! '  " 

"  Nothing  of  the  kind."  He  looked  up 
frankly.  "  I  saw  no  reason  for  speaking.  She 
accuses  herself  without  a  shadow  of  reason  ; 
it's  mere  hysterical  conscientiousness.  We 
have  known  each  other  for  half  a  year  or  so, 
and  I  have  made  love  to  her,  but  I  never  had 
the  least  encouragement.  I  knew  all  along  she 
did  n't  care  for  me.  How  is  she  to  blame  ?  A 
girl  is  under  no  obligation  to  speak  of  all  the 
men  who  have  wanted  to  marry  her,  provided 
she  has  done  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of. 
There  's  just  one  bit  of  insincerity.  It  *s  true 
she  knew  of  you  from  me.  But  she  looked  you 
up  because  she  despaired  of  finding  employ- 
ment ;  she  was  at  an  end  of  her  money,  did  n't 
know  what  to  do.  I  have  heard  this  since  I 
saw  you  last.  It  was  n't  quite  straightforward, 
but  one  can  forgive  it  in  a  girl  hard  driven  by 
necessity." 


^66  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

Narramqre  was  listening  with  eagerness,  his 
lips  parted,  and  a  growing  hope  in  his  eyes.  ^ 

*'  There  never  was  anything  serious  between 
you?" 

"  On  her  side,  never  for  a  moment.  I  pur- 
sued and  pestered  her,  that  was  all." 

"  Do  you  mind  telling  me  who  the  girl  was 
that  I  saw  you  with  at  Dudley  ?  " 

"  A  friend  of  Miss  Madeley's,  over  here  from 
London  on  a  holiday.  I  have  tried  to  make 
use  of  her — to  get  her  influence  on  my 
side "  :  -       ;    : 

Narramore  sprang  from  the  corner  of  the 
table  on  which  he  had  been  sitting. 

"  Why  could  n't  she  hold  her  tongue:! 
.That 's  just  like  a  woman,  to  keep  a  thing 
quiet  when  she  ought  to  speak  of  it,  and  bring 
it  out  when  she  had  far  better  say  nothing.  I 
feel  as  if  I  had  treated  you  badly,  Hilliard 
,And  the  way  you  take  it— I  'd  rather  you  eased 
your  mind  by  swearing  at  me." 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  367 

"  I  could  swear  hard  enough.  I  could  grip 
you  by  the  throat  and  jump  on  you " 

"  No,  I  'm  hanged  if  you  could  !  "  He  forced 
a  laugh.  "  And  I  should  n't  advise  you  to  try. 
Here,  give  me  your  hand  instead."  He  seized 
it.  "  We  're  going  to  talk  this  over  like  two 
reasonable  beings.  Does  this  girl  know  her 
own  mind  ?  It  seems  to  me  from  this  letter 
that  she  wants  to  get  rid  of  me." 

"You  must  find  out  whether  she  does  or 
not." 

"  Do  you  think  she  does  ?" 

"  I  refuse  to  think  about  it  at  all." 

"  You  mean  she  is  n't  worth  troubling  about  ? 
Tell  the  truth,  and  be  hanged  to  you  !  Is  she 
the  kind  of  a  girl  a  man  may  marry  ?  " 

"  For  all  I  know." 

"Do  you  suspect  her?"  Narramore  urged 
fiercely. 

"  She  '11  marry  a  rich  man  rather  than  a  poor 

one — -that 's  the  worst  I  think  of  her." 
«4 


368  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"  What  woman  won't  ?" 

When  question  and  answer  had  revolved 
about  this  point  for  another  quarter  of  an  hour, 
Milliard  brought  the  dialogue  to  an  end.  He 
was  clay-colour,  and  perspiration  stood  on  his 
forehead. 

"You  must  make  her  out  without  any  more 
help  from  me.  I  tell  you  the  letter  is  all  non- 
sense, and  I  can  say  no  more." 

He  moved  towards  the  exit. 

"  One  thing  I  must  know,  Hilliard — Are 
you  going  to  see  her  again  ?  " 

*'  Never — if  I  can  help  it." 

"Can  we  be  friends  still  ? " 

"  If  you  never  mention  her  name  to  me." 

Again  they  shook  hands,  eyes  crossing  in 
a  smile  of  shamed  hostility.  And  the  parting 
was  for  more  than  a  twelvemonth. 

Late  in  August,  when  Hilliard  was  thinking 
of  a  week's  rest  in  the  country,  after  a  spell  of 
harder  and  more  successful  work  than  he  had 


EVE*S  RANSOM.  369 

ever  previously  known,  he   received   a  letter 
from  Patty  Ringrose. 

"  Dear  Mr.  Hilliard,"  wrote  the  girl,  "  I 
have  just  heard  from  Eve  that  she  is  to  be 
married  to  Mr.  Narramore  in  a  week's  time. 
She  says  you  don't  know  about  it ;  but  I  think 
you  ought  to  know.  I  have  n't  been  able  to 
make  anything  of  her  two  last  letters,  but 
she  has  written  plainly  at  last.  Perhaps  she 
means  me  to  tell  you.  Will  you  let  me  have 
a  line  ?  I  should  like  to  know  whether  you 
care  much,  and  I  do  so  hope  you  don't !  I  felt 
sure  it  would  come  to  this,  and  if  you  *11  believe 
me,  it 's  just  as  well.  I  have  n't  answered  her 
letter,  and  I  don't  know  whether  I  shall.  I 
might  say  disagreeable  things.  Everything  is 
the  same  with  me  and  always  will  be,  I  sup- 
pose." In  conclusion,  she  was  his  sincerely. 
A  postscript  remarked  :  "  They  tell  me  I  play 
better.  I  've  been  practising  a  great  deal,  just 
to  kill  the  time." 


370  EVE 'S  RANSOM. 

"  *'  Dear  Miss  Ringrose,"  he  responded,  "  I 
am  very  glad  to  know  that  Eve  is  to  be  com- 
fortably settled  for  life.  By  all  means  answer 
her  letter,  and  by  all  means  keep  from  saying 
disagreeable  things.  It  is  never  wise  to  quarrel 
with  prosperous  friends,  and  why  should  you  ? 
With  every  good  wish "  he  remained  sin- 
cerely hers. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

T^ZHEN  HilHard  and  his  friend  again 
'  ^  shook  hands  it  was  the  autumn  of 
another  year.  Not  even  by  chance  had  they 
encountered  in  the  interval  and  no  written 
message  had  passed  between  them.  Their 
meeting  was  at  a  house  newly  acquired  by  the 
younger  of  the  Birching  brothers,  who,  being 
about  to  marry,  summoned  his  bachelor  famil- 
iars to  smoke  their  pipes  in  the  suburban  abode 
while  yet  his  rule  there  was  undisputed.  With 
Narramore  he  had  of  late  resumed  the  friend- 
ship interrupted  by  Miss  Birching's  displeas- 
ure, for  that  somewhat  imperious  young  lady, 
now  the  wife  of  an  elderly  ironmaster,  moved 
in  other  circles ;  and  Milliard's  professional 
value,  which  was  beginning  to  be  recognised 

371 


372  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

by  the  Birchings  otherwise  than  in  the  way  of 
compHment,  had  overcome  the  restraints  at 
first  imposed  by  his  dubious  social  standing. 

They  met  genially,  without  a  hint  of  estrange- 
ment. 

"  Your  wife  well  ?  "  Hilliard  took  an  oppor- 
tunity of  asking  apart. 

"  Thanks,  she  's  getting  all  right  again.  At 
Llandudno  just  now.  Glad  to  see  that  you  're 
looking  so  uncommonly  fit." 

Hilliard  had  undoubtedly  improved  in 
personal  appearance.  He  grew  a  beard,  which 
added  to  his  seeming  age,  but  suited  with  his 
features ;  his  carriage  was  more  upright  than 
of  old. 

A  week  or  two  after  this,  Narramore  sent  a 
friendly  note — 

"  Shall  I  see  you  at  Birching's  on  Sunday  ? 
My  wife  will  be  there,  to  meet  Miss  Marks 
and  some  other  people.  Come  if  you  can,  old 
fellow.     I  should  take  it  as  a  great  kindness." 


EVE'S  RANSOM,  373 

And  Hilliard  went.  In  the  hall  he  was  con- 
fronted by  Narramore,  who  shook  hands  with 
him  rather  effusively,  and  said  a  few  words  in 
an  undertone. 

"  She 's  out  in  the  garden.  Will  be  delighted 
to  see  you.  Awfully  good  of  you,  old  boy! 
Had  to  come  sooner  or  later,  you  know." 

Not  quite  assured  of  this  necessity,  and 
something  less  than  composed,  Hilliard  pres- 
ently passed  through  the  house  into  the  large 
walled  garden  behind  it.  Here  he  was  con- 
fusedly aware  of  a  group  of  ladies,  not  one  of 
whom,  on  drawing  nearer,  did  he  recognise. 
A  succession  of  formalities  discharged,  he 
heard  his  friend's  voice  saying — 

"  Hilliard,  let  me  introduce  you  to  my  wife." 

There  before  him  stood  Eve.  He  had  only 
just  persuaded  himself  of  her  identity ;  his 
eyes  searched  her  countenance  with  wonder 
which  barely  allowed"  him  to  assume  a  becom- 
ing attitude.     But  Mrs.  Narramore  was  perfect 


374  EVE^S  RANSOM. 

in  society's  drill.  She  smiled  very  sweetly, 
gave  her  hand,  Said  what  the  occasion  de- 
manded. Among  the  women  present — all 
well  bred — she  suffered  no  obscurement.  Her 
voice  was  tuned  to  the  appropriate  harmony  ; 
her  talk  invited  to  an  avoidance  of  the  hack- 
neyed. 

Milliard  revived  his  memories  of  Gower 
Place — of  the  streets  of  Paris.  Nothing 
preternatural  had  come  about;  nothing  that 
he  had  not  forecasted  in  his  hours  of  hope. 
But  there  were  incidents  in  the  past  which 
this  moment  blurred  away  into  the  region  of 
dreamland,  and  which  he  shrank  from  the 
effort  of  reinvesting  with  credibility. 

"  This  is  a  pleasant  garden.*' 

Eve  had  approached  him  as  he  stood  mus- 
ing, after  a  conversation  with  other  ladies. 

"  Rather  new,  of  course  ;  but  a  year  will  do 
wonders.  Have  you  seen  the  chrysanthe- 
mums ?" 


She  led  him  apart,  as  th^y'stood  r^atraing 
the  flowers,  Hiiliard  was  surprised  by  words 
that  fell  from  her.  .     ,  .;  :  u:^* 

"Your  contempt  for  me  is  beyond  exprfes- 
sion,  is  n't  it?" 

"  It  is  the  last  feeling  I  should  associate  with 
you,"  he  answered. 

y  Oh,  but  be  sincere.  We  have  both  learnt 
to  speak  another  language — you  no  less  than 
I.  Let  me  hear  a  word  such  as  you  used  to 
speak,     I   know  you  despise  me  unutterably." 

"You  are  quite  mistaken.  I  admire  you 
very  much."  " 

"  What — my  skill  ?     Or  my  dress  ?  " 

"  Everything.  You  have  become  precisely 
what  you  were  meant  to  be." 

"  Oh,  the  scorn  of  that !  " 

"  I  beg  you  not  to  think  it  for  a  moment. 
There  was  a  time  when  I  might  have  found  a 
foolish  pleasure  in  speaking  to  you  with  sar- 
casni.     But  that  has  long  gone  by." 


376  EVE'S  RANSOM. 

"What  am  I,  then?" 

"  An  English  lady — with  rather  more  intel- 
lect than  most" 

Eve  flushed  with  satisfaction. 

"  It 's  more  than  kind  of  you  to  say  that. 
But  you  always  had  a  generous  spirit.  I  never 
thanked  you.  Not  one  poor  word.  I  was 
cowardly — afraid  to  write.  And  you  didn't 
care  for  my  thanks." 

"  I  do  now." 

"  Then  I  thank  you.  With  all  my  heart, 
again  and  again  ! " 

Her  voice  trembled  under  fulness  of  mean- 
ing. 

"You  find  life  pleasant?" 

"You  do,  I  hope?"  she  answered,  as  they 
paced  on. 

"  Not  unpleasant,  at  all  events.  I  am  no 
longer  slaving  under  the  iron  gods.  I  like  my 
work,  and  it  promises  to  reward  me." 

Eve  made  a  remark  about  a  flower-bed. 
Then  her  voice  subdued  again  : 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  377 

"  How  do  you  look  back  on  your  great  ven- 
ture— your  attempt  to  make  the  most  that  could 
be  made  of  a  year  in  your  life  ?  " 

"  Quite  contentedly.  It  was  worth  doing, 
and  is  worth  remembering." 

"  Remember,  if  you  care  to,"  Eve  resumed, 
"  that  all  I  am  and  have  I  owe  to  you.  I  was 
all  but  lost — all  but  a  miserable  captive  for  the 
rest  of  my  life.  You  came  and  ransomed  me. 
A  less  generous  man  would  have  spoilt  his 
work  at  the  last  moment.  But  you  were  large- 
minded  enough  to  support  my  weakness  till  I 
was  safe." 

Milliard  smiled  for  answer. 

"  You  and  Robert  are  friends  again  ?  " 

"  Perfectly." 

She  turned,  and  they  rejoined  the  company. 

A  week  later  Hilliard  went  down  into  the 
country,  to  a  quiet  spot  where  he  now  and 
then  refreshed  his  mind  after  toil  in  Birming- 
ham. He  slept  at  a  cottage,  and  on  the  Sun- 
day morning  walked  idly  about  the  lanes. 


378  EVE'S  RAJSfSOM. 

A,  white  frost  had  suddenly  hastened  the 
slow  decay  of  mellow  autumn.  Low  on  the 
landscape  lay  a  soft  mist,  dense  enough  to 
conceal  everything  at  twenty  yards  away,  but 
suffused  with  golden  sunlight ;  overhead  shone 
the  clear  blue  sky.  Roadside  trees  and  hedges, 
their  rich  tints  softened  by  the  medium  through 
which  they  were  discerned,  threw  shadows  of 
exquisite  faintness.  A  perfect  quiet  possessed 
the  air,  but  from  every  branch,  as  though 
shaken  by  some  invisible  hand,  dead  foliage 
dropped  to  earth  in  a  continuous  shower; 
softly  pattering  from  beech  to  maple,  or  with 
the  heavier  fall  of  ash-leaves,  while  at  long  in- 
tervals sounded  the  thud  of  apples  tumbling 
from  a  crab-tree.  Thick-clustered  berries  ar- 
rayed the  hawthorns,  the  briar  was  rich  in 
scarlet  fruit ;  everywhere  the  frost  had  left  the 
adornment  of  its  subtle  artistry.  Each  leaf 
upon  the  hedge  shone  silver-outlined  ;  spiders' 
,webs,  woven  from  stem  to  stem,  glistened  in 


EVE'S  RANSOM.  379 

the  morning  radiance  ;  the  grasses  by  the  way- 
side stood  stark  in  gleaming  mail. 

And  Maurice  Hilliard,  a  free  man  in  his  own 
conceit,  sang  to  himself  a  song  of  the  joy  of 
life. 

(1). 

THE   END. 


32697     DATE  DUE 

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